Don't Let Me Go
by SapphireRivulet
Summary: When Sakura is attacked by a gang of lowlife criminals, Sasuke becomes her reluctant saviour. But can he save her from himself? WARNING! Contains rape.
1. Kidnap

**Okay, so this is my first ever fanfic! (eek!) So yeah, just give it a look and see if you like it. Cheers :)**

**Chapter 1**

**Kidnap**

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><p>Ino and Sakura flew at a breakneck pace through the trees.<p>

"Can't catch me, forehead!" Exclaimed Ino, pulling ahead of Sakura.

Sakura smirked, before landing on the ground. "Oh yeah?" She muttered, coming to a standstill. She quickly gathered chakra into her hand and smashed her fist on the ground, causing the trees around her for some 200 metres to rattle like an earthquake had hit. Sakura could faintly hear Ino's cry of "Forehead, you bitch!" before a distant figure fell from a tree. Sakura laughed and raced towards where Ino lay.

"Oh, I hope I didn't mess up your hair, Ino pig!" Sakura sniggered, helping Ino to her feet.

Ino just glared, mouthing obscenities under her breath.

"C'mon. We've gotta make it to the next town at least before sun down. Tsunade Sama wants us back in Konoha in two days at the latest." Sakura said, leaping into the trees. Sighing, Ino followed.

They soon arrived at a rundown little town.

"How far away from Konoha are we?" Ino asked as she watched the sun slowly slink behind the horizon.

"About a day and a half. If we leave around seven – ish tomorrow, we should be back before midday in two days." Sakura smiled. "Come on, let's go find a room." She started walking through the streets as the first paper lanterns were being lit.

Ino looked at her, annoyed. "We could leave later, you know. Tsunade won't kill us if we aren't back in time to make her breakfast in bed!" She called sarcastically. "Besides, I'm sick of getting up at the crack of dawn. Let's sleep in for a bit tomorrow." She yawned, trying desperately to convince Sakura.

Sakura just raised her eyebrow before caving. "Fine, but I want to be out of here by nine."

"Ten." Ino countered.

"Nine thirty."

"Fine."

They both nodded their heads in agreement. "What about that place?" Sakura pointed to a dingy looking hotel.

"You've _got_ to be _joking_" Ino groaned.

"Do you see anywhere better?" Sakura asked.

Ino looked around hopefully, but quickly concluded that this was not only the best place, it was the _only_ place. "Hmph," was all she said, before crossing her arms and following Sakura.

"Konichiwa!" Sakura greeted the portly man behind the counter with a smile. "Could I get a room for two, please?" She asked politely.

The man just grunted his yes and Sakura gave him the money. He passed her a key and said "second floor, third door on the right."

"Arigato!" Said Sakura brightly, dragging Ino along behind her.

Ino quickly claimed her bed by dropping her bag on it. "How do you do it?" Ino suddenly asked.

Sakura was confused. "Do what?" She questioned.

"Be so… Happy all the time. It's infuriating. You're always so chatty and smiley. When we were kids, you were always so whiney, but now you're just ridiculously happy. I mean, after Sasuke running away to Sound, and refusing to come back, I thought you would've gone back to your mopey old self again, but you're happier than ever!" Ino explained.

Sakura was taken aback. "Oh shut up, Ino pig. The last time I saw Sasuke, he tried to kill me; twice! I've grown up. I'm eighteen now, completely _over_ Sasuke, and yeah. Just happy. Enjoying the single life. You know me. I was always upset over _something_ to do with Sasuke, either because he'd ignore me or call me annoying," her face grimaced at that part, "and then I was just driven to being the best I could be and not always get in the way. I just wanted to help Naruto get Sasuke back. Now I know he's a lost cause, and I'm sick of being the one always holding out for him. So I decided to drop it and just be happy. It suits me better." She laughed at that and collapsed on to her bed. "I'm just in a good place at the moment, and really enjoying life."

Ino shrugged. "Makes sense." She agreed. "Anyways, I'm really tired, so I'm gonna hit the sack." She quickly changed into her pyjamas and curled up under the blankets.

"Alright. I'm going to take a shower. Night, Ino." Sakura grabbed her bag of toiletries and her pyjamas, then dashed into the bathroom.

"What a day" she muttered to herself, putting her bag on the sink and turning on the shower. Ignoring the protesting pipes, she stripped down and stepped under the slowly warming water and started putting some shampoo through her hair.

When she was done, she slipped into bed and her eyelids snapped shut of their own accord. She instantly fell asleep.

The nest day, Sakura and Ino left the village at exactly nine thirty.

"Hey Forehead, wanna race?" Ino asked, bored by the constant jumping through the trees.

"Sure" Sakura said, as bored as Ino.

"Ready," Sakura began, before Ino cut in.

"GO!" Ino screamed, bolting into the trees and taking Sakura by surprise.

"Oh no you don't, Ino pig!" Sakura called after her and picked up her pace. Before she got far, though, her eye caught a small stand selling fans outside a small, non descript town. Remembering that it was Hinata's birthday tomorrow, Sakura jumped out of the tree and walked towards the stand.

The girl selling the fans couldn't have been much younger than Sakura. "Konichiwa, miss. Would you be interested in a fan?" The girl asked politely.

"I would, arigato." Sakura answered, before beginning to browse. After a few minutes, Sakura had picked out a beautiful light blue fan with purple leaves and silver stars decorating it. "I'll take this one." Sakura said, passing the girl the fan.

"Of course, miss." The girl smiled, her soft brown bangs sweeping her cheek.

"I'm Sakura, by the way." Sakura smiled.

The girl smiled back. "Cho," was all she said when she passed back the fan "that's four hundred Ryou, Sakura."

Handing Cho the money, Sakura smiled her thanks. "Nice to meet you, Cho. Have a good day." She then darted back to the tree line.

Cho slowly turned her head to look at a big burly man. "Daiko, please don't. She was nice." Cho begged.

"Shut up, Cho. I couldn't care less what she is." The man named Daiko said dangerously.

Cho quickly clamped her jaw shut and a few futile tears escaped down her cheeks.

"Was she a Konoha nin?" Daiko ordered.

Cho nodded.

"I think we'll have some fun with this one, then." Daiko smiled, and signalled to a group of about six men behind him. They skittered silently towards the trees.

Cho looked sadly at all of her fans and fingered the silver thread that made an appearance in all of them, wishing she could take the small wisp of chakra out of all of them. "Sakura, I hope you are fast, otherwise my brother will catch you, and he will hurt you." Cho wiped the tears from her eyes and looked ahead, smiling. It was all she could do.

Sakura realised pretty quickly that she was being followed. Upon realising this, she jumped into the higher canopy and hid herself amongst the foliage. She meant to spring on them and demand to know why they were following her. Seemed like a pretty good plan until she felt a kunai pressing in the back of her neck.

"And what do you think you're doing, little miss?"

There was no time to think. Sakura quickly punched the arm holding the kunai away and turned around. She sunk a fist into the man's gut and jumped to the next tree branch. But that one had another waiting for her. Sakura snatched a kunai and hurled it at the man, successfully grazing his right cheek.

"Why you little…" He never got to finish his sentence as at that moment, Sakura had landed on the tree and kicked him across the head, effectively knocking him out cold and knocking him out of the tree.

"Ha. Serves you right, dickhead." She mused.

"I don't think so." She heard a whisper behind her. Before she had time to react, however, she felt her world go black.

The first thing Sakura was aware of was that she was bound. By chakra threads. _Damn_. She thought. _I'll have to trick them into letting me go._ _Oh, and where the _hell_ is Ino when I need her?_ Sakura was surprised that Ino hadn't come back for her.

"Hey boss, I think she's coming 'round." She heard a wheezy voice say.

Footsteps, then a sharp pain in her gut. The air whooshed out of her body as the boot made contact with her stomach. Sakura gasped and curled up in pain. "Wake up." A gruff voice commanded.

Sakura clamped her eyes shut.

"Wake up!" The same voice growled again, before slicing a kunai down her forearm.

Sakura gasped again as she felt the sharp pain and the hot, sticky liquid spill over her arm. Sakura quickly assessed the damage: not a deep cut, but a cut nonetheless.

"What the hell was that for?" Sakura yelled at him, angry.

The man shrugged. "Why not?" He countered, before sauntering back to his fellows.

Sakura looked around, coming to grips with the situation. She was bound by chakra strings, and was surrounded by about seven men; at least one of whom knew what he was doing, maybe two, seeing as it was a different man who said that she was awake.

"Well now, isn't this cosy?" Said the man who had hurt her. "Camped out around a fire with some mates, with our prize just waiting to be taken." He got a few wicked cackles from that. Sakura quickly identified him as the leader.

"Oi! What the hell do you want with me?" Sakura spat at him.

Daiko slowly turned towards her. "What _don't_ we want from you, would be a better question, methinks." Sakura's eyes went wide and she felt a cold chill slide its way down her back.

"Don't you _dare_ touch me," Sakura warned, edging backwards as best she could.

"Why not?" Daiko stood and walked towards her. "You're right here for the taking. But first," he got an evil glint in his eye, "let's make sure you definitely _can't_ escape." He raised his hand, which suddenly started glowing blue. Sakura felt true fear then, and her face drained of blood. _Oh no…_

Daiko slapped his hand down once on both thighs, sending a pulse of destructive chakra with both slaps. Sakura felt thousands of tiny little snaps in both legs, before the pain hit. When it did, it crashed over her, and before she could stop herself, she screamed.

"That should stop you from running away. This should stop you from crawling." And he did the same to both arms. Sakura had prepared herself this time, and so didn't cry out, but she couldn't help the moan of agony that passed through her lips as every single one of her nerve endings snapped away from each other, along with some muscles that were torn.

Daiko smiled, obviously enjoying her distress. "You like that, huh? Maybe you should entertain the rest of us as well." He lowered his knife and started to cut away Sakura's shirt.

"NO! Don't touch me, you bastard! Don't you fucking touch me! NO!" Sakura screamed at him, struggling to get away even though her limbs wouldn't respond to anything.

Daiko's face was getting more and more amused. "I think I'm going to enjoy this." He finished cutting off her shirt and pulled it off her, his eyes never leaving her chest. "I'm really going to enjoy having a taste of you."

Sakura started hyperventilating. "D… don't do this. Please, just leave me alone." She felt traitorous tears well up.

"I don't think so." He took his eyes off her chest long enough to cut away her shorts, until she was only in her underwear. Then his eyes had a new focus. Daiko licked his lips. "Are you a virgin? You'd better hope not, because not me, or any of my men are going to treat you nicely if you are. Personally, I hope you are. I always like to hear them scream." Addressing his men, he called out louder "we like the screamers, don't we boys?"

His grin started to fade when no reply was heard.

"When I talk to you, you answer me, dammit!" He turned his head, and his jaw dropped. All of his men had been slaughtered. Sakura had been too afraid of this man's ministrations to notice that every other man in the camp had been killed.

"What the fuck happened here?" Daiko stood up as a figure clad in shadows leapt down from the trees. "Who the fuck are you?" He spat.

The figure started to slowly walk towards Daiko, and said man took a step back. "I told you to tell me who the hell you are!" A few more steps back and he tripped over Sakura's body, sprawling in the dirt. "What the fuck do you want? Who the fuck are you?" Sakura managed to smile when she heard the panic in his voice. The strange newcomer didn't falter in their slow advancement.

"Answer me, dammit!" Daiko screamed.

"Whether I tell you my name or not makes no difference to your situation. You'll be dead long before you can imprint it in your memory." Said the man, raising his sword.

_Wait a minute…_ thought Sakura. _Why does that voice sound so familiar?_

The stranger raised their sword high above their head and swiftly brought it down, embedding it in Daiko's skull. Death consumed him hungrily, and he died with a look of pain etched into his face.

Sakura wracked her brains to try and figure out exactly where she had seen this man before, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. Their voice sounded so familiar, but their whole persona was darker than any she had ever come across. She looked up at him as he was pulling his sword out of Daiko's skull. "A… arigato, sir." She looked down and realised that the chakra bonds had been lifted. _Probably because that bastard is dead_, she thought.

The man just looked at her, his face still hidden in shadows. He wiped Daiko's lifeblood off the blade, then spoke.

"Hn."

Recognition sparked in Sakura's eyes. She felt her head spin with shock and blood loss. Her world went black.

It was dark when Ino finally came to a halt. "Ha, forehead, beat yah!" Laughed Ino, looking behind her. "Forehead?" A crease of confusion marked her brow. "Yeah, funny, forehead. Come on, I'm hungry." When only silence met her awaiting ears, Ino started to get worried. "Oi! Sakura! Get out here!" Ino knew that if Sakura was joking, she would take Ino seriously once she started using 'Sakura' instead of 'Forehead'.

Still no answer.

Ino scanned the area, feeling for Sakura's chakra signals. Nothing.

"SAKURA!" Ino bellowed.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Any thoughts are appreciated.<strong>

**Oh, um I have wierd tendencies where my stories have to be finished before I let anybody read them, so the whole story is already written out on my computer. Cool, hey? So that means... No HIATUS! I'll update this every day or two, I just want to see a bit of feedback, how everyone reacts to it, not that I won't continue to update if I don't get anything... You get what I mean, right? I'll stop talking now *grins sheepishly*.**

**So thankyou very much! x**


	2. Familiar Faces

**Hey there :)**

**Well, I am currently in a massive procrastinate mood (I don't want to do a powerpoint! Technology = scary) So I though, 'hey I'll put up the next chapter!' So here it is.**

**Oh, and I got a review! Squee! First ever review... Ever! So thankyou very much to that person, it made me smile :) Virtual cookies and icecream for you :)**

**I kinda maybe forgot to put a disclaimer at the start of the last chapter, so Me No Own Naruto. (If I did, I would de - virginise many of the male characters XD) shh...**

**Chapter 2**

Sasuke was pretty pissed. Orochimaru had ordered everyone to move to a new hideout at the last minute, and Sasuke hadn't had any time to himself since. They were now back at Oto. The place had been fixed up and a new entrance had been installed.

'_Incase anyone is keeping a surveillance on the original entrance'_ Orochimaru had said when Sasuke asked him why. It made sense, but their new entry was just ridiculous.

It was at the bottom of a river bed. Of course.

So to get into the hideout, Sasuke had to extend a massive amount of chakra to move and hold the water, then fit through this _tiny_ trap door, walk to a heavy waterproof door and go through it, all the while keeping the river water at bay. He wasn't allowed to let that water drop until the waterproof door was sealed shut properly. Ugh. So _annoying_.

But Sasuke did have to admit that it was an effective method of keeping out unwanted visitors.

This resolve didn't lessen his pissy mood. He'd had hardly any sleep in the last four days. He had told Orochimaru that he was going out for a few days. He just needed that time to himself. Needed to relax. And maybe break a few things along the way. Just vent.

He was pulled up short when he heard a high pitched scream of pain, about five hundred metres to his right.

He thought about it for a moment. Should he go and check it out? Nah. That was definitely been a female scream, and if he got someone fawning over him he might well put a Chidori through her. Better to leave it. He kept going until he heard the scream again, fainter this time.

"NO! Don't touch me, you bastard! Don't you fucking touch me! NO…"

Sasuke almost missed the next branch. He knew that voice. And he also knew that she may fawn over him if he saved her, but he knew that she was a renowned medic nin, and that she could give valuable information on Konohagakura and give Kabuto a few pointers. Sasuke winced when he thought back to the last time he had gone to Kabuto for a check up. Yeah, Kabuto could definitely use a few pointers.

Sighing, and hoping he wasn't about to regret this, Sasuke flew towards the source of the voice, masking his chakra as he went.

Sasuke reached the clearing just as a man finished removing Sakura's shirt. He heard Sakura plead with the man, "d… don't do this. Please, just leave me alone." He heard her voice break and wondered why she wasn't struggling. No matter. The man who had cut her shirt away answered her, "I don't think so." Sasuke focused on his chakra and made six Chidori Senbon needles, which he threw into the temples of the six men sitting around the campfire. Their bodies all convulsed and slumped forward, without one of them making so much as a peep. Sasuke was glad.

He looked at the remaining man and realised that he had cut away Sakura's pants as well, leaving her in her bra and underwear. Sasuke waited in the trees, deciding what to do next. Which way best to kill him? Killing the other men had felt good, but it didn't compare too killing a man up close. Watching the life fade from their eyes and knowing that you are the reason that the life has fled is a feeling beyond words. It was one of the few times Sasuke felt completely empowered and vulnerable at the exact same time. He loved it.

The man spoke again. "Are you a virgin? You'd better hope not, because not me, or any of my men are going to treat you nicely if you are. Personally, I hope you are. I always like to hear them scream." The man suddenly perked up and raised his voice, addressing his dead team. "We like the screamers, don't we boys?" Sasuke could feel the man's anger and confusion when his words were met with silence. He started to turn around and say "when I talk to you, you answer me, dammit!"

Sasuke watched as his eyes fell on the scene before him. His face was almost comical with shock and Sasuke had to repress a snort of laughter. "What the fuck happened here?" The man said, and Sasuke took this as his queue to reveal himself. He slowly sauntered towards the man, a light smile on his lips. Bloodlust was roaring in his ears. "Who the fuck are you?" The man ordered him, and Sasuke smirked at the growing panic evident in the man's voice. He started stepping backwards, matching Sasuke's advancing steps. "I told you to tell me who the hell you are!" He screamed just before he tripped over Sakura's body. He once again had to repress a snort at the man's expression, but he was quickly growing bored of the game. The man attempted another futile attempt to get Sasuke to speak. "What the fuck do you want? Who the fuck are you?" The man was afraid. Sasuke knew that the man was already sure of his fate. "Answer me, dammit!" Sasuke smiled completely this time, deciding to give the man some form of answer before his end.

"Whether I tell you my name or not makes no difference to your situation. You'll be dead long before you can imprint it in your memory," he drawled. He was bored now, and his bloodlust had to be sated. He raised Kusanagi high above his head before bringing it down in a massive arch, making the blade bite into the man's skull. A small light died in the man's eyes as his life force left him.

He left Kusanagi there for a moment, before yanking it out.

"A… arigato, sir." He heard a small voice squeak. He risked a glance at Sakura, and turned away to wipe Kusanagi clean of the blood.

"Hn." He said, surprised she hadn't flung herself on him yet. Not that he was complaining.

When he looked at her again, he saw that she had passed out. A long cut trailed down her forearm, pumping blood all over her arm. Sasuke sighed and pulled a bandage out of his satchel. He quickly tied it around her cut tightly and secured it. A large blood stain quickly spread along the bandage. Next, Sasuke removed his shirt and put it over her. He noticed a bruise like welt encircling both of her upper thighs and upper arms. He wondered what had happened, but dismissed it as the bruises from whatever they may have used to bind her. Lastly, he picked her up and brought her over to the fire, so that she could keep warm and he could sit down while waiting for her to wake up.

When Sakura's eyes slowly flicked open, she saw Sasuke sitting on a log, staring at the fire.

"Sasuke?" She croaked, barely able to make any noise. He looked at her and her heart faltered. _Day – um._ Her inner self whistled.

"Hn."

"Wh… what are you doing here?" _I am _not_ stuttering because he is looking at me, and because he is… *drool*… shirtless…_

Sasuke shrugged.

Sakura huffed, then winced when the motion hurt her chest. "Could you help me sit up, please?" Butterflies went through her stomach at the thought of his hands on her shoulders… Or anywhere else…

"Hn." When Sasuke didn't move, she took this as a no. Damn.

"Please, Sasuke. I can't move."

"Why?"

Sakura scowled. "Because that arsehole severed all of the nerves going to my legs and arms, along with some of my muscles. Now help me sit," she ordered him. Taking her eyes off him, it was easier to concentrate on how much of a jerk he was.

"Aa." She took this as a yes when he leant over and pulled her upright, none too gently.

"Arigato." Her head was spinning again, but this time for a completely different reason.

They sat there in silence for a while. Sakura wondered how she was going to get home and wondered if Sasuke would drop her off outside the Konoha gates. Probably not, but it was worth a try.

"Um, Sasuke, I was wondering if you could take me back home?"

More silence. "Hn."

Sakura was starting to understand Sasuke Language and realised that this meant 'No.'

"Why not?" She questioned, still not looking at him. That way she could keep her brain concentrating on the matter at hand and not at his perfect body… And face… And rock hard abs… And…

"Too dangerous." He grunted back.

Sakura was perplexed by this answer. "How so?"

"I could get caught. Also, you could be useful. You're coming with me." He stated matter of factly.

"What? No!" Sakura almost screamed. "You will take me back to Konoha!" She glared at him.

He glared right back. "No, I won't." He said evenly.

"Yes, you will!" She argued.

"No I won't, and that's final. You are in no condition to argue. I'm taking you back with me, whether you like it or not. I don't like it either, but you could be very useful. And besides, you've seen me. You know how to find me. With some skilled trackers from Konoha you could track me down back to the hideout. No. You're coming with me." He said heatedly.

Sakura was pissed… And a little excited. Her inner self was practically dancing a jig, screaming 'Sasuke kun is taking me back with him… Sasuke kun will have to carry me… Oh my gosh! He's going to carry me! *Swoon*' 'Shut up!' Sakura argued with herself. 'This isn't good! How will I get home?' 'Who cares?' 'I do!' 'I don't' 'I'm being realistic and rational here!' 'Girl, you've got no sex drive.' 'What?' 'You heard me.' 'Why I aughtta…'

"Come on, then." Sasuke sighed, easily lifting her into his arms, bridal style.

"What are you doing?" Sakura exclaimed in shock.

"It's either this or I sling you over my back."

_'I bet that gives a great view of his arse…'_ '_SHUT UP!'_

Sakura just nodded and Sasuke took off through the trees.

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><p>Back at Konoha, Ino rushed up to Tsunade's office. "Tsunade Sama! Tsunade Sama!" She kept screaming. She burst into the office. "Tsunade Sama!"<p>

Tsunade looked at Ino, shocked. "What is it, Ino?"

"Tsunade Sama! It's Sakura! She… She's…" Ino stuttered.

"Ino… Where is Sakura?" Tsunade whispered menacingly.

Ino gulped. "She… She's… she's gone, Tsunade Sama. We were having a race back to Konoha and when it was sundown I turned around and she wasn't there and I tried to look for her and I went back and I couldn't find her and she was just gone and… and…" Ino broke down into tears. "I raced back as quickly as I could." She sobbed. "We have to find her… She could be seriously injured or in trouble or…" Ino couldn't finish the sentence. "Tsunade Sama, I am so sorry. I didn't hear anything from her or feel any strange chakra. I would have if she was right behind me, which she should have been."

Tsunade stood from her chair and walked around to stand infront of Ino. "Ino, look at me."

Ino continued to hide her head in her hands, so Tsunade repeated herself more forcefully. When Ino's tear stained face appeared above the mask of her hands, Tsunade continued. "We don't know the circumstances, Ino. As far as we know, Sakura wasn't behind you. Maybe she's already back in the village and has gone to bed. You're coming to conclusions that are only based on fears and worries, but not rationalised facts. If Sakura still hasn't returned by tomorrow afternoon, then we will send out a search team. Let's not get hysterical over this."

Ino nodded dumbly at the Hokage.

"I think you should go home and go to bed. You're absolutely exhausted. Go home, take a hot shower, have a good dinner and get a good sleep. You need it." Tsunade said impatiently. It was nearly midnight after all, and Ino had interrupted her before she'd finished her lotto scratchies*.

"Go home, Ino."

Ino stood up. "Yes, Tsunade Sama. I'm just tired. I'll see you tomorrow." She repressed a yawn and slipped from the office. "Goodnight, Tsunade Sama."

Tsunade just grunted her response and sat back down. She eyed her last scratchie ticket, grabbed a coin, and scratched away the thin layer of silver plastic. What she saw made her freeze and her blood run cold. She had just won.

"Shit. Just what I needed." She looked ahead, pondering whether to call Shizune or not. _It might not have to do with Sakura. She's a big girl now. She can handle herself. She's one of the most powerful kunoichi. It'd take a lot to bring her down…_ She continued to reassure herself as she turned off the light and went home.

* * *

><p>It was dark in Orochimaru's chamber. A glistening white snake slithered across the floor and up his arm, disappearing into his waiting mouth. Orochimaru sat there for a moment, as if thinking intently about something.<p>

"Kabuto…" Orochimaru's voice hissed like a menacing breeze along the air currents. A human shaped shadow emerged from the surrounding darkness.

"Yes, my lord?" Kabuto answered, his voice dripping with worship.

"It appears that Sasuke has returned rather early. And he is not alone. Tsunade's apprentice accompany's him."

"The pink haired bitch?"

"Hai." Orochimaru paused. "Be sure to find a use for her, Kabuto." He eventually whispered.

"Hai…" Kabuto merged back with the encroaching darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>*<strong>***I don't know what goes on with lotteries and stuff everywhere else, but for those who are confused, here in Down Under we have Scratchies, as we call them, and you scratch away some sliver plastic stuff, underneath will be some pictures or something. If you get a set, you win some money. Or underneath it might just have how much money you've won. Not quite sure. I'm not old enough to buy them legally! (emphasis on the legally...)**

**So yeah, next chapter up. Woo! So read, my pretties... and review if you want. They make me happy :)**

**x**


	3. Trapped

**Well hey there :) So, I have the third chapter up officially :) And anything else I'd like you to know, I'll tell you at the bottom of the page. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Naruto, but I do own this story :)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Sakura kept her eyes wide open the whole way back to the base. She needed to look for ways she would be able to sneak back. Places to hide. Paths to take. When Sasuke stopped at a river, Sakura wondered why such a small thing would stop him from jumping over it.

"Can you stand?" Sasuke asked her.

"No, of course not. Incase you hadn't realised by now, my nerves have been cut!" Sakura had snapped at him.

"Hn," was his grunted reply, before roughly setting her down.

Sasuke bent his head and started muttering "Tatsu, Mi, Tori…" Whilst putting his hands into the seals of the Dragon, Snake and Bird. "Mizu Wakare no Jutsu*!" On either side of him, the water rose up. For a moment, Sakura could have sworn that the tops of the water had serpent heads moulded into them, but in the blink of an eye, they were gone. In the middle of the sopping riverbed, there was a trap door.

Sasuke bent down and lifted Sakura into his arms and walked to the trap door. "Hiraku*," he said, and the door swung open. Sasuke jumped through the hole and Sakura closed her eyes until she heard a soft thud and felt Sasuke's knees buckle slightly on impact with the ground. In front of them was a large steel door. "Hiraku," Sasuke repeated, and the door swung open, revealing a large earthen passage. Sasuke went through the door, which closed and sealed when he stepped foot into the passage. "Kai!" He stated forcefully, and Sakura faintly heard a massive splashing sound.

Without another word, Sasuke strode down the passage, taking a few turns and going down a flight of stairs. The sheer size of the place made Sakura feel dizzy. She was shocked that an underground lair could be _this big!_

Sakura finally found the voice to speak. "Where are you taking me?" She hoped her fear wouldn't leak into her voice.

"Infirmary." Sasuke replied bluntly.

"Oh." It struck her as odd that he would take her to the infirmary. "Why?"

Sasuke looked at her legs pointedly.

"Oh."

"Aa."

So she was going to get her legs and arms healed. "Why?"

Sasuke let out a breath of air in annoyance. "You are no use to us injured."

Sakura gasped. "I will not be a test subject for one of your sick, tortuous ideas!" She spat at him.

"I didn't say you would be."

Okay, now she was confused. "Then… Why?"

Sasuke sighed in annoyance again. "Just shut up."

Sakura harrumphed in annoyance. "Not until you tell me what is going on!"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes and decided to ignore her.

They continued through the passages. Sakura memorized the route. Left. Walk for two hundred metres. Left. Three doors down, a right through the fourth door. At the end of this hallway was a large wooden door with a flashing blue light over it.

Inside, the room was bare, apart from a cupboard, a small camper bed and a few constantly flickering lights, which barely kept the shadows away. On closer inspection, Sakura could also see a three legged stool by the bed.

"Kabuto!" Sasuke called out. Sakura looked up at him with frightened eyes. _Not that arsehole again. His medic methods are so crude and out of date. I'll be lucky to not lose a limb!_

No answer was heard.

"Kabuto!" He called again, impatient now.

A disturbance was made in the shadows, and a glint of glass was seen as Kabuto emerged, his glasses shining like halos.

"What?" He demanded rudely.

"Her nerves are cut. Heal them." Was all Sasuke said as he dumped her ungraciously on the bed, its hinges creaking.

"Why should I?" Kabuto shot back, crossing his arms.

"Because I can just imagine how pissed Orochimaru is going to be when he finds out you annoyed me again."

Kabuto gulped, and slowly made his way towards Sakura. But not before he shot a look of purest loathing towards Sasuke.

"What happened?" He asked Sakura.

Sakura glared at him. "I was attacked, and one of them had been trained as a medic nin. He cut some of my muscles and all of the nerves in my biceps and thighs."

"Huh. So I guess that you want me to fix that?" Kabuto smirked at her.

"It would be appreciated. Just heal one of my arms though. I can do the rest." She told him, not liking to rely on him.

"Would if I could, but that's not an option." He said nonchalantly.

"Why not? I'm a perfectly capable medic. Far better than you." She hoped that stung a little, and indeed he did look offended, but almost immediately put his cocky grin back in place.

"So harsh to one who is only meant to help? Fine. I was going to do you a favour and stop this from hurting a bit, but you've made me angry. Sasuke," he addressed the other male.

"Hn?"

"Hold her down."

Sakura was suddenly afraid. "What are you doing?" She squeaked, internally wincing at both allowing herself to show fear and when Sasuke firmly placed his hands on the areas where her nerves were split.

"We can't have you escaping after we heal you, can we?"

Sakura looked at him, confused. "What? How do you plan on doing that?"

Kabuto hmphed in triumph. Raising his hand it suddenly turned a frightening shade of red. Kabuto grinned manically, before slapping his hand down on her chest, right over her heart. "Chakurashiru Jutsu*!" He crowed, and Sakura immediately felt a painful pulse vibrate through her whole body.

Sakura screamed as it felt like her blood began to boil, then immediately went ice cold. It repeated: Boiling, then freezing. Boiling, then freezing. After a moment, the sensation started to recede from her fingertips and her toes. This continued. The sensation of being burnt on the inside, then frozen crept up her body, leaving the affected areas numb. The feeling slowly went towards her heart.

After what seemed days, but was probably only hours or minutes, it came to rest at her heart. It stopped, painfully, as if holding its breath, then with a bright flash of purple light, it was gone. Sakura stopped writhing, and instead tried to get her erratic breathing under control. She was shaking and covered in a sheen of sweat. Kabuto removed his hand and Sasuke stepped back.

"Wh… What did you j… Ju… Just d… Do to m… me?" Sakura choked out, stuttering in the aftermath of so much pain.

"I've sealed away your chakra. You can no longer use it. You will be just like an ordinary person." Sakura could hear the triumph in his voice.

The girl just shook her head, as if that one simple movement could stop his words from being true. "N…n…noo…no…n…nn…noo…" She gasped, fighting back tears. This couldn't be happening.

"Yes." Kabuto stated simply. "Now I can heal the rest of you." He walked forward, letting blue chakra cover his hands.

When Sakura was fully healed, she made to punch at him, but was surprised by her sluggish movements. It seemed to take aeons to get her fist from A to B. 'B' being Kabuto's face.

"Slow." Was all he said, easily avoiding her.

"Why you insolent little…" Sakura reached down to her cesspool of Chakra, but found it blocked. Sakura's brows furrowed as she concentrated, trying to get around the block, all to no avail. It was like trying to push through two metres of cement that had been reinforced with steel, with only a toothpick!

"What have you done to me!" Sakura screamed at him. She knew that he had already explained himself, but she was alone, frightened, in pain and in shock. She could barely recall anything.

"I already told you. I have blocked off your ability to reach your chakra." Kabuto explained again, obviously getting bored.

Sakura lunged at him, but before she could even get off the bed, an arm had ensnared her waist and was dragging her back.

"Who…?" Sakura looked over her shoulder to where Sasuke was. "Let go of me!" Sakura yelled.

"Hn."

"Let go of me, Sasuke!" She ordered again.

"No."

"FUCKING HELL SASUKE YOU WILL LET GO OF ME, DAMMIT! OR I'LL -"

Sasuke slammed her into the wall. "You'll what?" He hissed. Sakura stopped breathing.

"You'll what?" He pressed her tightly against the wall, his hand encircling her throat.

Sakura just shook her head. She had no answer.

"You'll do nothing. Your threats are empty, Sakura. I couldn't care less what you say you could do to me. There is nothing you can do. You are weak. A stupid, pathetic and ignorant little girl." He removed his hand from her throat and walked away. Sakura hesitantly followed him. She knew that if she didn't, there would be consequences.

Sasuke kept walking for some time, making the occasional turn. Sakura followed, keeping her distance. After a good ten minutes or so, he stopped, facing a set of double doors. Sakura slowly walked up to him, and once she stood beside him, he opened the door. She followed him inside.

"Sasuke kun, you're home!" A slithery voice echoed around the dimly lit chamber.

"Hn." Was Sasuke's response.

"And you brought a friend. How… Lovely. You should have warned me, Sasuke kun. That was impolite." Orochimaru teased, sliding from the shadows.

He made his way to Sakura and grabbed a hold of her chin.

"My my, what a pretty one we have here, ne? Sasuke kun."

"Let go of me!" Sakura hissed and ripped her chin from his grip.

"A feisty little one too, ne? We'll soon cure that, though. Won't we? Hai…"

"Keep away from me…" Sakura warned, quickly glancing at Sasuke in some weird, desperate hope that he would help her. He was as impassive as ever.

Orochimaru licked his lips. "Why? I just love seeing blossoms, such as yourself, _wither_…"

Sakura felt a cold chill chase up her spine. "Don't…"

Orochimaru grinned. "I think we'll play with her a little longer, don't you? It's fun teasing her."

From nowhere, snakes shot up and bound her wrists and ankles.

"Now, Sakura. You will answer me." Orochimaru whispered. "Else you'll pay a hefty price.

Tsunade paced her office. It was eight at night, and Sakura still hadn't come home. "Shit." She mumbled to herself. "Naruto! Kouta! Minori!" She barked. Almost instantly, three men stood before her. Kouta was a tall man, with blond hair and green eyes. Minori had flaming red hair and brown eyes.

"Hai, Tsunade Sama." Kouta and Minori addressed her.

"Baa – Chan, what the hell?" Naruto whined. "I was about to have some ramen! It's Hinata Chan's birthday today!"

Tsunade cut him off before he could continue whining. "Haruno Sakura is missing."

Naruto looked at Tsunade, dumbfounded. "Sakura Chan…? Baa – Chan, what the hell?" Naruto was angry now, as if blaming Tsunade for Sakura's disappearance.

"Shut up, Naruto! Sakura didn't return from her mission yesterday. Her team did. She may have got held up with something, but it is very unlike Sakura to not let anyone know. The last place Ino saw her was outside the small town of Koraru where they stayed for the night. That was in the Waterfall Country. You are to head to Koraru at dawn and find her.

"Hai!" Kouta and Minori said, before they were gone in a puff of smoke.

"Naruto, you are dismissed." Tsunade stated.

Naruto stared at Tsunade for a moment longer, before nodding his head slowly. "We'll find her, Baa – Chan. Believe it!" With that, he puffed out of the room.

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><p><strong>*Mizu Wakare no Jutsu - This is not an actual Jutsu. I made it up (Aren't I clever?) It basically translates to 'Water Parting Jutsu'. Yeah yeah, creative, I know.<strong>

***Chakurashiru Jutsu - Another Jutsu I made up. It translates into 'Chakra Sealing Jutsu'. I'm just so good at creative names, aren't I? (Sarcasm). Oh well, at least they sound good in Japanese :)**

***Hiraku - One of the billions of ways to say 'Open'. I just chose which one seemed to fit best XD**

**So. I've noticed that some of you have been adding this story to your favourites, and that makes me uber happy :) But hey, this is a request on my part, if you're going to favourite, could you pretty pretty please (with ice cream and marshmellows and sugar and chocolate and wafers and yummy - stuff - that - clogs - your - arteries on top) review? I'm a sucker for constructive criticism, and really like feedback, even if it's just a smiley face (or a frowny face). So yeah, now that that's off my chest... Review? I'll love you forever!**

**I'll stop talking now :P**

**x**


	4. Snakes

**Hey hey :)**

**So, I got reviews, and that made me so smiley XD (This isn't the story, so incorrect grammar and non - words are allowed, right?) So, a massive ARIGATO to those who reviewed, and those who have it on their favourites and alerts, and basically to anyone who's just reading along :) I can't actually say how happy it makes me to see that you guys actually like what I write! So, now that I've said that, here's Chapter 4, extra early just for you guys because you made me so happy :) ONWARD!**

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><p>Sakura grimaced in pain, refusing to make a sound. They had her tied with snakes to a chair.<p>

"What is Konoha's weakest link?" Orochimaru asked her again. Sakura just shook her head, refusing to say. More pain rippled up her body, like electricity, but far worse. Sakura gasped.

"What is Tsunade's weakness?" Orochimaru tried a different question. Sakura shook her head again.

"Tell me!" He ordered, but Sakura refused. More pain ripped through her body, but unlike the other times, it didn't go away.

"Tell me and I'll stop!" The pain got worse the longer it lasted. Sakura could feel her nose start to bleed. Her lungs felt like they were going to burst. If she opened her mouth now, she would scream until her vocal chords snapped. It felt like thousands of blades were stabbing her, everywhere, all at once. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt like the blades were infused with electricity, and it was burning her, inside out. It felt like molten lead was being poured into the fresh cuts that were being made by the nonexistent swords. At least, it didn't exist physically. But in her mind it was a maelstrom of agony. There was no escape. There was nothing but the pain. Pain was her one link to reality, to sanity. Pain was what was driving her to the doorstep of madness.

Suddenly, it stopped, and Sakura hunched forward, panting for breath, forcing her lungs to breathe.

"Tell me, Sakura, and I can make all of the pain go away." Orochimaru whispered into her ear, tantalisingly.

Sakura gritted her teeth. "I'd rather die." She rasped, and spat at him, bloody saliva sticking to his cheek.

"Have it your way." Orochimaru hissed. "Sasuke, take her to the prison cell."

"You do it." Sasuke argued.

Orochimaru shot him a glare. Sasuke sighed and walked over to Sakura. The snake bindings retreating as he walked nearer. Sakura slumped to the ground.

"Get up." He said. Sakura groaned and refused to move.

"Get. Up." Sasuke repeated, to which he got the same response.

"Hn." He roughly picked her up and flung her over his back. Sakura just flopped there like a rag doll. She refused to show the pain that she was in. Instead she opted to close her eyes. Her imagination seemed to take pity on her, and took her to a place and time full of innocence and carefree laughter.

_An eight year old Sakura lay under the old oak tree, watching the stars. There were no clouds that night, and the moon was full, basking the earth in an ethereal glow. Sakura started to try and count the stars._

"_Sakura?" Her mother called from the house._

"_Shh, mama. You'll disturb the stars." Sakura murmured to her mother._

"_What are you doing, Sakura Chan?" Her mother knelt beside her._

"_I'm counting the stars." Sakura whispered._

_Her mother nodded and lay down beside her._

"_There are so many stars, mama." Sakura said. "Where do they all come from?"_

_Haruno Chie smiled at her daughter. "There are many different beliefs. There is the scientific one, which many choose to believe. I don't. Stars are far too mysterious and precious."_

"_What do you believe, mama?" Sakura breathed._

_Chie took her time answering. "I believe that stars are the souls of our loved ones watching over us. They are pure and bright, unmoving, just like the love that they have for us. And just because you can't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there." Chie said._

_Sakura nodded, smiling. "Is that where papa is?" The girl asked._

"_Hai. Papa is that big star right there. Because his love for you and I is the strongest."_

"_You mean papa is the moon?" Sakura asked._

"_No." Chie seemed almost offended, and Sakura turned confused eyes towards her. Chie sighed and explained._

"_Papa's love is not like the moon. The moon, although being the brightest light in the sky, always changes. Sometimes it is not even there. That is not what papa's love is. Like the stars, his light, his love, is constant. Just like mine is for you. Our love for you will never stop shining. You are a star in my heart, and there is no force out there that can move you" Chie wrapped Sakura up in her arms. "And papa shines the brightest because his love for you is strongest. Never forget that, Sakura. And never doubt it. It will always stand true and firm, no matter what life may throw your way."_

Sakura was harshly pulled back to reality when she was dumped on cold stone floor.

"Stay here until someone comes to get you." Sasuke said, before exiting the room, locking the door behind him.

Sakura shuffled into the farthest corner from the door, huddling into a ball. She quickly assessed her situation. She was trapped in Oto, probably about to die. All of her chakra had been sealed. Nobody in Konoha knew where she was.

Her only comfort was that they obviously hadn't gotten their hands on Ino.

Hours, maybe days had passed, since she had been locked in that damn cell. She was absolutely starving! Then, an idea popped into her head, one that she couldn't believe she hadn't thought of already.

Reaching under Sasuke's* shirt, she pulled a paper clip and a safety clip out from her bra. Konoha always made sure its ninja's were equipped, even with the most nondescript things, like safety clips and paper clips; sure fire lock picks when chakra wasn't an option. Pulling herself up, she went to the door. She straightened out the paper clip and inserted it into the top of the lock, while using the smaller end of the safety clip to work on the bottom. After fiddling around for a few minutes, she heard a faint _click_. She put her mouth up to the small opening and called out "hey, is anyone there?"

No answer; meaning the coast was clear.

Slowly opening the door, she peered around. Empty. She closed the door, and skirted off in the same direction that Sasuke had brought her to the cell.

_Think, Sakura. Think. Which way?_

_Which way?_

_Right._

She turned right and lightly ran down the hall, keeping her ears pealed for any sound that was out of place.

Another fork.

_Think, Sakura. Think. Which way?_

_Which way?_

_Left._

She took the next left and started counting the doors.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

At the sixth door, she stopped. She was about to turn the handle when it started turning by itself.

Sakura flung herself into the room next to it just as that door opened and some random Sound nin walked past.

"So anyway, what do you think Orochimaru is going to do about all the new recruits? Half of them have no talent at all…"

"Yeah, Shinji, I don't know why he let them come in, unless it was to do those test experiments…"

"I heard that's what they were planning on doing with that Aya girl. Have you seen her? She's fucking hot. Maybe I'll ask Orochimaru for a special arrangement?"

"Yeah, Shinji, you go for it…"

The male voices slowly faded, but Sakura was too focused on the room to care.

There were scrolls in here. Thousands of them.

And where there were scrolls, there was information.

Sakura walked between the shelves, scanning them. After a few minutes, she came across a shelf that was label "Bases."

Interested, Sakura chose a scroll at random. She could hardly believe what she read.

**Information Regarding Bases: Draft for Possible Hideout Destinations. To be Finalized.**

**December 20****th**** – April 5****th****: Otogakure base, Situated Land of Sound. New entryway under Sho***** Lake.**

**April 5****th**** – April 9****th****: Stay at Safe house in Ishigakure, Situated Land of Stone.**

**April 9****th**** – July 14****th****: Wataridori Base, Under Wataridori Lake. Situated: Land of Birds.**

**July 14****th**** – September 4****th****: Shio Base, Shio Island. Nineteen miles South South West of Crescent Moon Island, Situated Land of Moons.**

**September 4****th**** – September 9****th****: Stay at Joumae Safe house, Situated Land of Keys.**

**September 9****th**** – January 11****th****: Fang Base Between two Fang Mountains Situated Land of Fangs.**

**All Dates and Locations***** to be Finalized.**

Sakura stood there in shock for a moment, trying to process exactly what she was holding. In her hands, she held the locations of two of Orochimaru's Safe houses and four of his Bases! This information would be invaluable to Konoha! Quickly stuffing the scroll through her bra, she tiptoed her way back to the door. Just before she got there, though, someone walked in.

Sakura quickly hid herself behind one of the shelves as someone entered the room. She hardly dared breathe.

She heard their footsteps reverberate around the room, until they came to a halt. She dared glance around the corner, to see if she should try and make for the doorway.

She came face to face with Sasuke.

Sakura sucked in a startled breath and started to walk backwards.

"What are you doing here, Sakura?" Sasuke ordered. He seemed pissed that she had escaped.

Sakura pulled herself up defiantly. "Let me go, Sasuke. I am no use here."

_If looks could kill…_ said inner Sakura.

"You know our current location, and judging by the scroll you just took, you know multiple. You are staying." He said as if that was the end of the conversation.

"Konoha will come after me. I am a valued nin. I will get away from here." It took all of Sakura's will to not crumble to the ground.

"Hn." In a flash, Sasuke was behind her, and Sakura felt her world go black as he knocked her out.

_Arsehole…_

When Sakura woke up, she was lying on cold stone floor. Se blinked herself into awareness and slowly sat up. She felt for the scroll, but it was gone.

Orochimaru stepped in front of her and she looked up at him with difficulty.

"Such a shame. You could have just done as you were told, but no. And now you leave me no choice." He said, almost regretfully. Almost. Sakura could barely hear the glimmer of glee behind his sad façade.

"What are you planning, snake?" She spat, unable to control the absolute hatred that she felt for him.

Orochimaru grinned wickedly. "Death…" His whisper turned to a hiss.

Sakura didn't even flinch. As a shinobi, this was all just part of the job. "Make it quick." She turned her head aside and closed her eyes. She would die happy knowing that she hadn't betrayed Konohagakure.

There were quick footfalls, then "Orochimaru." Sasuke's voice sounded in the room. "I have a proposition."

Sakura sensed Orochimaru's hesitation, and looked up. Sasuke was beside him, muttering rapidly. She squinted at them both, annoyed that she couldn't hear what they were saying.

After a moment, Orochimaru's grin dropped a bit, but was soon back in place. "Hai, Sasuke. You may have your wish." He looked at Sakura. "You may follow Sasuke."

"Huh?" Asked Sakura stupidly. "Weren't you going to kill me?"

"Maybe next time, dearest…" Orochimaru sighed.

"Come." Sasuke's voice pierced the air, and he grabbed beneath Sakura's arms, hauling her to her feet. "Follow me."

Sakura trailed after Sasuke, closing the door softly behind her.

* * *

><p>A week later and Sakura was still missing. Naruto's usually intoxicating grin had yet to make an appearance.<p>

Kouta and Minori had gone back to Konoha three days ago to report that her trail had gone stone cold. There was no trace of her. Naruto refused to give up.

He had stopped in the small town of Koishi, which was on the edge of the Fire country and the Waterfall country, to ask if anyone had seen Sakura.

He was just leaving the village when he passed a sad looking girl with brown hair. A young girl of no older than eight, who had lilac hair was standing beside her, holding her hand.

"Hey." Said Naruto. "Could you do me a favour?" He asked the girl. She looked at him with big blue forget-me-nots.

"Hai. What do you want, sir?" She asked.

"A close friend of mine… Sakura… She went missing a week ago. She had… Has big green eyes and pink hair. She's a really good friend of mine, and if you knew anything, it'd be really appreciated." Naruto explained without much hope in his voice. "I'm Naruto, by the way."

"Cho." The girl said. "This is my cousin, Aika." She waved at the girl, and Naruto smiled at her. Cho didn't look at Naruto. She was scared and upset. Daiko still hadn't returned.

"Cho, do you know anything about Sakura's whereabouts?" He gauged her reaction this time, and saw that her back stiffened slightly whenever he said Sakura's name.

Cho shook her head.

Naruto studied her. She looked very sad over something and he was determined to find out what.

"Cho, what do you know about Sakura?" He said forcefully, but not unkindly.

Cho shook her head again. "Nothing, Sir. Gomen, but nothing."

Naruto walked around so that he was facing her and saw that she was crying. "Cho, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

She shook her head again and put her hand over her mouth. "Why are you talking to me, Naruto? Why don't you hate me? Everyone else does." Her tears fell faster now, and Naruto went over to her and tried to comfort her. She clutched onto his shirt, burying her face in his chest. Aika ran soothing circles on her back.

"Shh, Cho Chan. Don't cry. It'll be okay." Aika tried to comfort her cousin, but to no avail.

"Cho, why would I hate you?" Naruto asked her, perplexed.

"Because… Because of my brother. He is evil. Naruto, I am so sorry about Sakura… I do know… Sort of… Please, just don't hate me. She was so nice to me, and I begged him not to go after her, but he didn't listen to me and…" Cho sobbed, her tears making rivers down her cheeks.

"Cho, sit down and tell me the whole story."

She nodded and started.

"When I was five, our village was attacked by bandits. They killed everyone, except my brother, Daiko, little Aika, and I. He promised he'd take care of us after that, but he wasn't nice. He'd always stir up trouble. He tried to be a ninja at one stage, but was kicked out of the academy because he was so nasty. As we got older, he started liking girls. He made me make fans, and he'd put some chakra threads into them, so that when a pretty girl would buy one, he could track her. He'd chase after her with his gang and they'd do… terrible things to her. It was so horrible. I tried to get away, but he said that he'd kill me and hurt Aika if I did. I couldn't leave Aika with him. Not that. He would kill her.

"Eventually, a village would start to suspect us, and we'd have to move. We only just moved from Mura, and now I have to leave again. Last week, your Sakura stopped by, and she bought a fan. She was so nice, I asked Daiko to leave her alone, but he wouldn't. He went after her. I haven't seen either of them since." Cho looked up at him. "Naruto, I know that what my brother has done is wrong, but he is still my big brother. He and Aika are the only family I have left." Cho started crying again.

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder. "Cho, do you know where your brother takes these girls?"

"He goes to a clearing in the forest. He always changes it, but there is always one or another clearing in that forest."

Naruto nodded. "Arigato, Cho Chan. If I find your brother, I'll bring him back to you. It'll be alright. Believe it!"

Cho smiled meekly. "Arigato, Naruto. I'm glad I could help. I wish you luck in finding your Sakura." She waved as he started towards the trees, then smiled the first true smile she had in months. "Arigato, Naruto. And Good luck."

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><p><strong>So, there you have it. You like? (Please say yes...)<strong>

***Remember how Sasuke gave her his shirt back in Chapter two? Yeah... A friend of mine read this and got confused, so I thought I'd put this here so that you guys would know that it isn't a typo :)**

***Just wanted to say that none of the locations (Apart from Otogakure), are actual base locations or Safe houses (That I know of). I did so much research to find places that would be suitable and eventually came to this list. There is also no such thing as Sho Lake (That I'm aware of), and I just made it up for the sake of the story.**

**Alright, I have something to say. Soon, this story is going to get very M. There'll be spoilers as well. Maybe not in the next chapter or two, but definately sooner rather than later. So I can't really tell you what will happen (I don't really want to give anything away), but know that it will be heavily mature, and I don't really want people hating on me if I put some things in here that will be a very touchy subject for a lot of people. (Did that make sense? Probably not...). So I thought I should just warn you all of that now :)**

**Anyways, review, my pretties! They make me happy and motivate me to update faster XD**

**x**


	5. Talking

**Next Chapter, Yay! Okay, so there is going to be a big part of this next chapter that may make many of the male readers a little bit uncomfortable, but it's an important part (for future reference), so bear with me.**

**Oh, forgot to say last time, there's also no such thing as Shio Island :P**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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><p>It was dark, and Sasuke was outside, hurtling shuriken at an oak tree. He was still fuming from another fight with Sakura. <em>What the hell was I thinking, saving her from Orochimaru? I should've let the snake finish her and leave it at that,<em> he thought to himself. But even so, he couldn't stand around as a life was taken for no reason. And besides, he really did need a house keeper.

He cursed himself for his weakness. Even now, he wouldn't take a life unless necessary. He thought he was better than that. 'One less life here or there wouldn't make a difference' he tried to convince himself, but all to no avail. He threw another shuriken at the tree and split it in half. Angered that the tree could be so weak, he propelled himself at it, smashing it to smithereens.

What had they argued about, anyway? Oh yeah.

_Sasuke lay on his bed, dosing off. Sakura was occupying the bathroom, and had been for a long while. 'What is it with women and bathrooms?' He thought._

"_Sasuke?" He heard Sakura's meek voice. Sasuke didn't move. Whatever her problem was, she could figure it out for herself._

"_Sasuke?" She called again, louder this time. He ignored it again. 'Shut up…' was all he thought._

"_Sasuke!" She yelled from the bathroom. He couldn't ignore it now._

"_What?" He asked, annoyed._

_She didn't answer for a while, and he was starting to get comfortable again when a small voice sounded. "Sasuke, could you help me, please?"_

"_No," was his gruff reply._

"_Please, Sasuke. I really need your help."_

_Sasuke sighed and rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom door. He could hear her crying softly on the other side, so he went to open the door. "What do you -?"_

"_DON'T COME IN!" She shrieked in horror and Sasuke quickly closed the door, almost afraid._

"_What? You ask for my help and then tell me to go away? Piss off…" He walked towards his bed again and was about to lie down when she spoke again._

"_No, I'm sorry, I just… This is really awkward and I don't know what to do."_

_He grunted. _What is her problem? _"What?"He demanded of the girl._

_He heard her audibly gulp from the other side of the door. "Uh… I just got my period and you don't have any… Supplies." She said hesitantly._

"_So?" He asked. He couldn't care less._

"_Don't you get it?" She questioned._

"_Hn."_

"_Men… Ugh… Look, can you help me? Please?" She begged._

"_No."_

_He heard her let out an exasperated sigh, and then sensed her anger building rapidly. "Look, Sasuke. I am bleeding and unless you want that blood going everywhere, I suggest that you HELP ME!" She screamed at him._

_Sasuke was confused. She was bleeding. Big deal. "Oh. Can't you just heal yourself?" He didn't understand what her problem was. What was a period?_

"_EVEN IF I WANTED TO, I COULDN'T! FOR ONE, I CAN'T USE MY CHAKRA, AND TWO, UNLESS I HAVE A SPECIAL KIND OF SURGERY TO STOP MY MENSTRUATION, THIS CYCLE WILL CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER THIRTY YEARS! AND I WOULDN'T HAVE THE FUCKING SURGERY ANYWAY BECAUSE I WANT TO HAVE CHILDREN! YOU STUPID FUCKING IMBECILE! GO AND FIND KABUTO AND ASK HIM FOR PADS AND TAMPONS OTHERWISE I WILL MAKE YOU RUE THE DAY YOU WERE BORN, UCHIHA!" Sakura stabbed him with her words. He flinched at her wrath._

_Why was she so angry, anyway? "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but get out of that damn bathroom! I am not doing any favours for you. Go ask Kabuto yourself!"_

"_I __CAN'T__!"_

"_Why not?"_

"_Because I'm bleeding!"_

"_Why the hell are you bleeding? You aren't injured!"_

"_I know I'm not injured, I have my period!"_

"_What the fuck is a period?"_

"_It's the week every month where I bleed because I haven't conceived. Hasn't anyone ever told you this before?" She questioned._

"_No! And I don't understand why you need these… what are they called? 'Pad's' and 'Tampons'? What the hell are they for?"_

"_To stop blood from going everywhere!" Was her simple reply._

At that he had stormed out, and now he looked at the remains of what was once a tree.

"Stupid women!" He growled to no one in particular. Looking up at the sky and finally realising how late it actually was, he scowled and trudged towards the river.

* * *

><p>"Ah, Sasuke. What an absolute <em>honour<em>," Kabuto drawled, dripping sarcasm, and making a very low and exaggerated bow. "What can I do for you?" He straightened up and continued with whatever he was doing.

"Something is wrong with Sakura. She claims to be bleeding because of a period, and wants pads and tampons," Sasuke mumbled, feeling his pride being degraded purely by doing Sakura this favour. She would pay.

"Ah, so it's that time of the month for our little guest? Tell me, how did she take the news of being your maid servant? It couldn't have been pleasant."

"Hn."

"Anyway, it's lucky that I have a stock of these things here, incase a female sound nin ever does get her time of the month while here. I'd suggest that you give her some pain medication as well. I hear that the cramps can be quite unpleasant. Oh, and be careful of her for the next week. They generally get quite foul during their time of the month, if set off."

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked. He was so confused. Time of the month? Period? Menstruation? All of these terms, especially in this context, were completely new to him.

Kabuto looked at him for a moment, and saw the obvious confusion in his eyes. "You mean, you have no idea what any of this is?" He asked incredulously.

Sasuke shook his head. "Explain," he ordered.

Kabuto sighed, and dumped some packages into Sasuke's arms, before taking a seat, motioning for Sasuke to do the same. "When a girl reaches puberty, her hormones start to run rampant. This not only includes the growing of breasts, widening of waist and pubic hair, but also the start of her menstruation cycle, also known as a period. This cycle will last for approximately one week every month, until around the age of fifty, give or take a decade or so. It depends on the girl. What it means, is that she can now conceive if she were to have sex in the day or two before her period starts." Kabuto explained, frustrated that it was him to, essentially, give Sasuke 'The Talk'.

He looked up at Sasuke. "Please tell me that you know what sex is."

Sasuke looked offended. "I am hardly that ignorant and innocent, Kabuto. What does menstruation entail?"

"Blood." He answered simply. "Or, to be more specific, the body releases an egg that was left unfertilised, and rips away of the lining in the uterus. She bleeds from… down there… for the week. She can be more aggressive than usual in the week leading up to her period. This is known as Pre Menstrual Stress, or PMS for short. She will sometimes get pains when she feels the lining of her uterus being ripped away. This is known as cramps. Understand?"

Sasuke nodded. With anything that was constant, he could learn quickly.

Kabuto continued. "Stress can make her period come earlier or later. Pregnancy will cause it to stop until the baby is born. Her cycle won't stop until she hits menopause, which won't happen for a long while yet."

Sasuke nodded and gathered up the parcels, before closing the door behind him.

He closed the door to his room behind him, loudly enough to alert Sakura to his arrival.

"Sasuke, is that you?" Sakura's voice issued from the bathroom.

"Aa. Here is your stuff." He opened the door a crack and slid the boxes in the direction of the toilet.

"Arigato." She said gratefully. Five minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom, her face bearing a pink tinge of embarrassment. "Arigato, Sasuke. I didn't think you would actually help me. Did Kabuto explain anything?"

"Aa."

Sakura stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do. She couldn't go to bed as he was sitting on the couch, and… Well… That's where she slept. "Did you want anything?" She asked through gritted teeth. She hated this arrangement. In order to keep her life, she had to work for Sasuke. Clean his room, cook his meals, wash his clothes. She was basically a slave and she hated it.

"Hungry." He replied in a monotone.

Sakura clenched her fists, swallowing back her reply of 'Go make your own fucking food!' "What do you want?" She had only agreed to the arrangement in the hopes that she could gather more information if she ever got back to Konoha. If Orochimaru killed her, at least she had died keeping Konoha safe. Either way, it was an almost win win situation.

"Tomato Soup and bread."

"Yes _master_" and she curtsied extravagantly, before going to his kitchen and preparing his meal. _Besides,_ she thought, _maybe I'll be able to convince Sasuke to come back with me. _She highly doubted it, but it was worth a shot. She would probably never get another chance. She would just try and be his friend. Stick it out. See if he would trust her enough to come back to Konoha with her. Starting now, she would try. She took the soup and bread out to him, and he started eating it. He screwed up his face at the flavour. "Too salty."

Sakura big back a sharp insult. Starting_ tomorrow._

**One Month Later.**

Naruto was walking with Hinata home from Ichiraku Ramen. Unnerved by the uncomfortable silence, Hinata decided to speak up.

"H… How is your search for Sakura Chan g… Going, N… Naruto Kun?" Hinata asked him.

Naruto sighed. "I think I'm starting to lose hope, Hinata Chan. It's been a month and there is still no trace of her. I just don't know where to look… What to do. I'll never stop looking for her, but I don't know if I'll find her alive." Naruto couldn't continue. After Cho had told him about Daiko and his gang, Naruto had searched the forest high and low, but found nothing. He had thought that Cho had lied to him, so he went back to Koishi, only to find that Cho and her little cousin Aika, had already left. Dejected, he had returned to Konoha and told Tsunade of the new found lead. Tsunade had wasted no time sending out some of Konoha's best tracker ninja. Naruto had insisted that he accompany them, but Tsunade had refused, pointing out that he would only get in the way as he didn't know much about tracking. He may even accidently destroy something of importance that would lead to Sakura's whereabouts. After hours of arguments, a threat to take away Naruto's status as a ninja, make sure that he never got the title of Hokage, and the removal a certain part of his male anatomy, whilst awake, Naruto had finally agreed to stay behind.

It had taken over a week for the trackers to return, and when they did it was with downcast faces. They were in Tsunade's office for hours, and when they exited, Tsunade had called Naruto to talk to him. He still remembered it, word for word, even to this day.

_Naruto paced impatiently outside of Tsunade's office, when the doors suddenly opened and the two trackers trudged out dejectedly. Naruto hesitantly walked into Tsunade's office, afraid of what she might tell him._

"_Naruto, sit down." Naruto obeyed her, for once not putting up a fight._

_Tsunade turned her honey eyes to him and he saw that they were swimming with unshed tears. "The trackers found the forest and they even found the clearing Sakura was in. They found seven dead men and the remnants of Sakura's clothes. Along with some misplaced blood, which they later were able to identify as Sakura's. If she is dead, a body has not been found. There is no trace of her leaving, apart from being near what was once a fire. There was an unusual chakra signature that led through the clearing, and the trackers followed it. They lost it at a small river in the Sound Country. They searched up and down each side of the river for a day, and found nothing. It seems that Sakura has disappeared completely. There is no trace of her." A tear made its way down her cheek. Naruto sat there in shock. He couldn't process everything that was happening._

"_Tsunade…" He was so shocked, he even addressed her as 'Tsunade'. "You don't think it was Orochimaru, do you? If they went to Sound?" Naruto threw the idea out into the open, hoping to have some form of explanation, no matter how farfetched. There just had to be an answer!_

"_I don't think so, Naruto. Orochimaru would have no interest in Sakura. Besides, our latest report says that he was in the Land of Iron. I don't think it was Orochimaru."_

"_Then who?" Naruto tried hard to keep his tears in check. 'A ninja is not meant to show emotion', he reminded himself. 'A ninja is not meant to show weaknesses, such as emotion.'_

"_I don't know, Naruto. I just don't know."_

Naruto and Hinata stopped outside of Naruto's apartment and faced each other. Hinata looked around, unsure of what to do. Her face was slowly turning a pretty shade of pink.

"Uh… Thanks for the ramen, Hinata Chan." Naruto offered.

"Hai, Naruto Kun." Hinata replied quickly.

Then Naruto did something even he wasn't expecting. He leaned in and kissed Hinata, full on the mouth. Once he realised what he was doing, he pulled back.

"Naruto Kun!" Hinata squeaked in shock and surprise, touching her lips with her finger tips.

"G… Gomen, Hinata Chan… I…" He lifted his eyes to Hinata's scarlet face.

Naruto turned and started fiddling with the lock on his door, but in his haste he broke the key inside the door lock. "Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit…" Naruto berated himself quietly while Hinata looked at him with wide eyes. The male slid to the floor and buried his face in his hands, allowing himself to cry. "Gomen, Hinata… I'm so, so sorry… I…"

Hinata crouched down to Naruto's level. "Naruto Kun, don't be sorry. You've had much to deal with." She gently removed his hands from his face and made him look at her. "It's all going to work out fine." And she held him in her arms as he cried for the loss of his friend.

"I'll find her, Hinata Chan. I'll find her alive, and I'll bring her back. Believe it."

* * *

><p><strong>So, did you like it? I attempted to put a little bit of humour in there to make up for the feminine stuff. But one of the reasons I also put the squeemish part in there (and this one I can tell you,) is... Could you ever see Orochimaru giving Sasuke 'The Talk'? Oh funnyfunnyfunny... But seriously, he would never have learnt about that stuff! I'm just assuming he knows what Sex is. What, with his whole 'revive my clan, rar rar rar, revenge, rar rar rar, tomatoes, rar rar rar' shizz. But I also didn't really want to describe Sex. Also, because I know that if I did, I would have had to have started with 'When a mummy and a daddy love each other very much...' So yeah, that's my reasonings X)<strong>

**Uh, I'm sorry if I don't update for the next couple of days, I have lots and lots of school work and music on. I have my seventh grade flute examination tomorrow! ARGH! (For those who don't know, one more grade, and I'll start training to be a pro. *gulp*). And guess what? I don't know my scales! All forty - something! Yay! *sarcasm***

**x**


	6. Friend

**Hey there. So, what's happening guys? I got nothing last chapter! No reviews at all. Made me sad :( Half of me was saying 'Don't put this chapter up!' But that's my mean side, and I'd already said that even if I got no reviews, I'd still post. Aren't I nice? I know the last chapter was a bit slow, but I'd just had four chapters of non stop GO GO GO and no matter how good or bad of a writer someone is, they can't have action happening constantly, otherwise they'd run out of ideas and end up reverting to something like 'Then a magical pixie wearing a raccoon coat came charging ontop of a giant pogo stick, wielding the magical bobby pin of Sheeba. Sakura boomed in a magical voice that she got from some random place "Stop! I haven't had breakfast yet!" The pixie stopped, feeling sorry for the girl. So he gave her an apple.' See what I mean? It just won't work.**

**If you hadn't figured already, I'm in a bit of a pissy mood. I did my flute exam for seventh grade and only got a B. B! Do you realise how hard I've been practising? For hours and hours every week! (Stupid Berkeley suite :Z) And then I have a ton of school work to do, and my computer crashed and I only have the first eighteen chapters on my USB. I have to write out everything after chapter 18 again! *end rant. *Takes deep breath*. Okay, I'm calm again.**

**Anyways, I don't own Naruto, I do own this story, yadda yadda yadda, you know the drill.**

**(Smiley face)**

* * *

><p>Sakura was asleep on the couch when Sasuke came home. It had been a month since she had come to the base and she had finally started to settle. Sasuke couldn't help but admire how much she had grown. She was very mature, and no longer fan girling him, for which he was grateful. In fact, she was reasonably pleasant to live with. She could cook well, and didn't pester him with millions of questions. She didn't even flirt with him. If she interacted with him she treated him how she would treat any man who was her friend. Generally, she just left him alone, which was fine by him.<p>

She had grown on him, that was for sure. And that was the only thing that he didn't like. She was trying to make him be friends with her again. Form _bonds_. He couldn't and wouldn't have that. So far, it was nothing. He was like stone, and he wouldn't erode. As soon as it seemed like she would start getting through to him, he would break her spirit, and prove to her that there was no point in trying. She would not break him.

He couldn't let her break through, because that would spell his undoing.

**One month later**

Naruto walked into Tsunade's office.

"What is it, Baa – Chan?" He asked her, flopping into a chair.

Tsunade turned stern eyes on him. Her face was impassive. "Naruto, it's been two months, and we've had no leads. I can't keep people going out looking for her. It's dangerous for Konoha. We've -"

"Baa - Chan! You will NOT give up on Sakura! We WILL find her! Don't give up on her! She is out there and we will find her! We are so close, I can _feel_ it! Don't do this, Baa – Chan!" Naruto screamed at her, shaking with rage. He could feel the power of the kyuubi start to leak out, but he couldn't help it. She could _not_ give up on Sakura, Dammit!

Tsunade pounded her fist on the table, making cracks appear in the wood. Shards of anger glinted in her eyes. "_Don't_ you _Dare_, for _one moment,_ believe that I would _ever give up_ on Sakura, Naruto! She is like my own daughter! I would rather _sever_ all of my own limbs, _without_ antiseptic, than call off this search! Hell, Naruto, if I was able to, I would be out there searching for her myself! But I _can't_! I am not able to! I have spent so much money and ninja looking for Sakura and all that it has lead to is a small river! We have nothing further than that! I want to believe that we will find her, but there is no evidence to support that hope! If I keep searching for her, then Konoha will go bankrupt, and I will be sacked! Do you want that to happen?" Tsunade screeched, trying hard to not embed this knowledge into Naruto's skull with her fist.

Naruto instantly sobered. "No, Tsunade," Naruto mumbled, eyes downcast.

Tsunade took a deep breath to calm herself, and continued. "I promise you, Naruto. If we ever find a lead on Sakura, the search will continue. For now, I can't afford to do that. Please try and understand."

Naruto nodded and left the room without another word.

Sakura walked into the room, keeping her eyes off Sasuke. She was trying to prepare herself for the question she was about to ask him.

_Deep breath_, she told herself. _It's not like you're asking to be let go, you just want a bit of freedom. That's all. _"Uh, Sasuke?"

"Hm?" His voice was as unresponsive as ever.

"I was wondering if, seeing as I've been here for around two months, and I haven't seen anything, really, apart from this room, I was wondering if I could be let out every now and then. It's not like I can escape or anything. I mean, if no then that's fine, but I'd really appreciate being able to get out of this room for once…" She said quickly, before shutting her mouth, realising that she was rambling.

Sasuke stayed silent for a while, to the point where she didn't think that he would answer. She went to walk away, when he spoke.

"You could get lost."

"I can ask for directions."

He looked at her cynically.

"And besides," she continued, "I have a good memory. I'll just memorise the paths that I take."

"Huh."

In the past few weeks, Sakura realised that she had been making progress with his vocabulary towards her. His normal monosyllables 'hn' and 'aa' were now joined by 'hm', 'huh' and 'oh'. Sometimes, he even said a whole sentence to her, which basically made her chuck a party in her head.

There was more silence, followed by an "I'll think about it."

_CHYAH! Two whole sentences in one conversation! I'm on a role! _Inner Sakura celebrated.

"Arigato, Sasuke."

The next morning, Sasuke gave her permission… By opening the door and looking at her expectantly. She immediately raced from the room, telling him that she would be back in time to make dinner, before she was on her way.

As she turned the first corner, she looked back to Sasuke. He was still in the same spot as before, but he had a light smile on his face. Sakura almost did a double take when she saw _that_. Sasuke? Smiling? That just didn't seem possible. He closed the door, still smiling, and walked in the opposite direction.

Sakura bounded down the tunnels, relishing in this small bit of freedom. She wished she could see the stars and the sun, but that would be pushing it a bit far. Sakura was so caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't realise that there was someone coming until she knocked into them as she turned a corner. Both went sprawling backwards, and the other girl dropped the collection of clothing that was in her hands.

"Oh!" Cried the girl, who couldn't have been older than seventeen. "Gomen! Gomen! I am so sorry, Miss. Please forgive my clumsiness; I did not see you there!" The girl apologised over and over again, distraught at the situation.

Sakura stared at her incredulously, before erupting in fits of laughter. The girl looked at Sakura, confusion in her eyes, before bending down the pick up the fallen clothes.

"G… Gomen, miss, forgive my curiosity, b… But what is it that you f… Find so funny?" Stuttered the girl, terrified.

"No, no, it's fine. I'm laughing because you're acting as if you've committed a huge crime!" Sakura laughed.

The girl looked confused. "But haven't I, Miss? Aren't you going to beat me?" Some hope seemed to be forming in her eyes: Hope that she wouldn't be beaten, perhaps?

Sakura looked at her, horrified. "What? No! Of course not! Why on earth would I do that?"

The girl shrugged. "Everyone else does." She mumbled.

Sakura was shocked, but quickly snapped out of it. "Here, let me help you with that." She rushed over the help the girl re fold the clothes into a neat pile. "I'm Sakura, by the way. What's your name?" She asked.

"My name is Aya. I am pleased to make your acquaintance." Aya responded formally. She was a very pretty girl. She had dark mahogany hair that fell in ringlets to her waist. Her dark lavender eyes were surrounded by thick lashes. She had creamy skin which currently had a rose petal blush creeping along her cheeks.

Her name sounded familiar to Sakura, and she spent a good while wracking her brains as to how she knew it, while she smiled and said "wow, you really like the formalities, don't you, Aya?" She kept grinning until she got a look at Aya and saw that she was about to apologise again. "It was a joke, Aya. I wasn't really getting angry at you." She reassured the girl.

Aya turned beet red and Sakura wondered what could have made her so timid. Then she saw the massive bruise circling around Aya's neck.

"Aya, what happened to you?" Sakura scooted forwards, trying to get a better look at the bruise.

Aya collected the clothes into her arms and tried to walk away. "It's nothing."

"Aya, please! I won't hurt you! Let me help!" Sakura called after her.

Aya slowed down and pressed her forehead against the wall. As Sakura got closer, she saw tears slowly tracing their way down her cheeks.

"It… It's nothing, Sakura." She gulped.

Sakura lightly traced the bruise with her fingertips, and saw that it was in the shape of a hand.

"Aya," Sakura breathed, "who did this to you?"

Aya shook her head, as if forcing herself to not say.

"Aya, please, I won't hurt you. I'm worried about you." Sakura said softly.

"His name is Shinji. I was meant to be a test subject but he asked Orochimaru if I could stay with him instead. Now I'm his servant… And he does worse than beat me. He likes to use my body for his… Urges. I don't know what to do. I don't have anyone to talk to. My whole village is either destroyed or its people are being used as test subjects. I have no family and no friends." Aya finished sadly, holding back a sob.

Sakura gently stroked her hair away from her face. "If it's any comfort, I don't have any friends here. And I would love to be your friend, if you'd like. I live in Konoha, but I'm a prisoner here. Aya, if I ever get out of here, I promise I'll get you out too."

Aya turned her tear stained face towards Sakura. "Y… You mean it? You would be my friend?" She asked hopefully.

Sakura nodded, smiling kindly. "I'd love to be your friend."

Aya smiled at her.

"Now let's go and take these clothes back, then we could walk around for a bit." Sakura suggested, and took some of the clothes off Aya.

A week later saw Sakura and Aya sitting facing opposite each other in one of the halls.

"I remember what it was like, back in my village." Aya began. "It was a very small village. We only had about forty people. Everyone knew everyone. I remember that every morning, mama would send me down to the riverside, so that I could collect some water. She would make a whole pot of rice, and I would make the soup, and we could feed the whole village. During the day, I would teach all the little girls how to make flower necklaces." Aya smiled and leaned back against the wall. "It was so peaceful."

Sakura smiled at her. "It sounds beautiful." She said.

"It was." Aya agreed.

Sakura was surprised at the change that had come over Aya so quickly. She had changed from a shy and stuttering little girl to a funny and confident young woman. It was easy to make her laugh and she was so easy to talk to! Sakura was very glad to have her as a friend. But there was still a shadow of the frightened little girl in her eyes, and that's what scared Sakura. She knew that it was mainly Shinji's fault that she was so traumatised. And now she needed to see how everything was going.

"Aya?" Aya looked at her to show that she was paying attention.

"Forgive me for asking, but how are things going with Shinji? Is he treating you any better?"

Aya looked down sadly. "He's seen a change come over me, and he's determined to find out why. He liked me better when I was scared and timid, and around him, I still am. Just not to the degree I was a week ago. I have you to thank for that." She flashed a grin a Sakura, and Sakura was glad that she could help.

"So, Aya, tell me, back in your village, did you have a boyfriend?" Sakura asked.

Aya turned her face away, blushing.

"You did!"

Aya had a smile on her face that she was obviously trying to repress.

"So, tell me, what was his name? What did he look like? What was he like?" Sakura fired the questions at Aya like a canon.

"Sakura!" Aya exclaimed. "If you must know, his name was Masa. Takeda Masa. He… He was really sweet. He had brown hair and these beautiful grey eyes. We weren't exactly 'dating', but we really liked each other." She smiled at the memory. "He'd always try and make the flower necklaces with me, but he could never get it. It was very funny. So he'd always try and make it up to me by cooking something or doing something else. I remember one time he tried to make me a soup and he nearly burnt our house down! He was so clumsy, but he was very sweet. He'd always make me laugh." Her eyes glazed over at the memory, and then went very sad. "He was the warrior of the village, so when Orochimaru attacked, he was the first to die."

"Aya, I'm so sorry…" Sakura began, before Aya continued.

"Don't be. He died protecting the village… And me. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way." There was silence between the two for a moment until Aya spoke up again. "What about you? Do you have anyone back at Konoha?"

Sakura shook her head. "Not really. I mean, I have a friend, Naruto, who is interested in me, but I only ever saw him as a friend. A friend of mine, Hinata, is in love with him, so I keep trying to push him towards Hinata. But he's pretty clueless." She smiled. "He's an excellent ninja, but he doesn't know the first thing about dating. It's pretty cute. And my friend Lee. He's such a clown. He has incredible skill with Taijutsu, though. He's obsessed with the 'Power of Youth', and he's very determined. He's a great friend though, but I'd love to give his eyebrows a wax!" Sakura giggled.

Aya looked at her before saying, "go on, I can tell you're not finished."

Sakura giggled nervously. "Back at Konoha is how I met Sasuke. You know, Orochimaru's 'pet'. He was so attractive and mysterious; he had his own fan club, which I was, unfortunately a part of. Him, Naruto and myself were on the same squad. Team Seven. Those were the days. Naruto would chase after me, I'd chase after Sasuke, and Sasuke would push us both away. But we were all friends. It all changed at the Chuunin exams. Orochimaru lusted after Sasuke and his Sharingan. He put a curse seal on him, and eventually Sasuke went to him seeking power, so that he could kill his brother. Naruto and I never stopped trying to get him back." Sakura sighed. "I was always so depressed, because I was madly in love with Sasuke. I just wanted him home. Last year, I got sick of holding out for someone who would probably try to kill me... Who had tried to kill me! I decided to try and move on with life. It was a lot of work, but I got there. I became happier. A more powerful ninja.

"I joined ANBU and worked in the hospital. One day I had to do a mission in Suna. I stopped in with the Kazekage, my friend Gaara. We became close. I think he liked me, and I started to like him a bit. Not to the extent that I loved Sasuke, but I could've seen myself with him. I would've been happy with him. We saw each other a few times, and liked each other more and more. Then this happened. It's hard being around Sasuke and not lusting after him, I mean, have you _seen_ him! He is like, the embodiment of Sex. So I try not to look at him. It makes it easier to concentrate on how much of a jerk he actually is." Sakura and Aya erupted in a fit of giggles.

"He's not quite the embodiment of Sex," said Aya. "I can point out a flaw." She sounded very proud of herself.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Oh? There's an imperfection in the perfect?"

"Sure!" She lifted her hands up to the back of her head. "It looks like someone glued a chicken's arse to the back of his head! That's what his hair style looks like!"

Sakura's eyes opened wide, before she burst out laughing. "It's… So… True!" She wheezed in agreement. "Oh no!" She sobered. "The next time I look at him, I might start pretending to be a chicken in front of him to see if his hair responds!" The two girls stared at each other, before erupting into another fit of laughter.

"Sakura?" Aya asked.

"Hmm?"

"When is your birthday?"

"Huh? Oh, it's on the 28th, this month." Sakura said nonchalantly.

"That's only in a few weeks!" Aya exclaimed.

"Hai!" Sakura chirruped. "But anyways, I have to go. Sasuke will be pissed if I don't have his dinner ready. Sayonara, Aya!" Said Sakura, before running in the direction of Sasuke's room.

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><p><strong>So what do you think? Better than the last chapter? Yes? No? About the same? Magical Bobby Pin of Sheeba? Meh, I'm a tad tired. So leave me some feedback, and get me smiling again X) <strong>

**Hey, guess what I'm going to do from now on? I'm going to leave a preview of the next chapter! So, here it is:**

**Preview - Chapter 7: Innocent**

_**He regarded her curiously, wondering why she was so damn happy. Shaking his head and coming to the conclusion that it was just a random mood swing on Sakura's part, he went to leave the kitchen.**_

_**"Hey, guess what, Sasuke Kun?" Sakura asked. Sasuke's back stiffened, and then he was on her, his hands encircling her throat. She stopped smiling.**_

**Stay tuned!**

**x**


	7. Innocent

**Yes, I know, a late update, what's happening? Uh... Last week of school :P I was going to update yesterday, but I had orchestra rehearsals for an hour and a half, then a forty five minute flute lesson, then a performance... I was just a teensy bit tired.**

**You know how, a couple of chapters ago, I said it was going to start getting very M? Yeah, that's happening now.**

**This Chapter Contains Rape. I have put the part of that in bold writing, so if you want to skip it, don't read that part. I've tried to keep that actual scene as undescriptive as possible, and it's very short. And I did tell you that I would make this story very M, so please don't get angry with me :( and a warning will go up in my Summary now.**

**Anyways, Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only this story.**

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><p>When Sakura woke up on the morning of the 28th, it was with a smile on her face. Today, she was turning nineteen. She couldn't believe it! There was basically nothing that could get that smile off of her face. She got up from the couch and immediately went about her morning routine; Went to the shower, dressed up in her dull grey tunic with black pants and black shirt with sleeves that went to her elbows. She hummed to herself as she put up her hair.<p>

She went to the kitchen and started frying some tomatoes on toast for Sasuke's breakfast. When that was done and Sasuke was eating, she made his bed, cleaned the sheets and pillows away from the couch, did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen and the bathroom. It was now past midday, Sasuke was still out training and Sakura had one more chore to do before she would start on dinner. She was going to make something very nice for dinner, to celebrate her birthday. Maybe some rice with pieces of chicken and tomatoes through it? That actually sounded really good to Sakura, so with her mind made up, she gathered up the dirty clothes and filled the bathtub with soapy water, which she proceeded to wash the clothes in. She hung the clothes up over the bath and shower to dry, then went to the kitchen to prepare for dinner.

Sakura was half way through stirring the rice when Sasuke entered his room.

"Kon'nichiwa, Sasuke!" Sakura called cheerfully.

"Hn." Came his reply and she heard him flop down on the couch.

"Dinner will be ready in about half an hour."

"Hn."

Sakura chuckled to herself. Typical Sasuke.

Within half an hour, the food was on the kitchen bench and ready to be eaten.

"Dinner's ready!" She called, and heard Sasuke shuffle from the adjoining room into the kitchen. He picked up his plate, smelled it, and carefully took a bite. Upon realising that it wasn't poisonous, he ate all of it.

"Like it?" Sakura asked.

"Hm."

"Should I take that as a yes?"

"Hm."

"Okay." She continued smiling and ate the rest of her dinner as he wolfed down his.

"Careful, Sasuke, you'll choke," Sakura joked, giggling.

"Hn," came his reply as he continued to practically inhale the food.

Sakura finished her food and started the dishes. Sasuke soon finished after her and went to put his plate next to her.

"Arigato." She piped.

He regarded her curiously, wondering why she was so damn happy. Shaking his head and coming to the conclusion that it was just a random mood swing on Sakura's part, he went to leave the kitchen.

"Hey, guess what, Sasuke Kun?" Sakura asked. Sasuke's back stiffened, and then he was on her, his hands encircling her throat. She stopped smiling.

"_What_, did you call me?" He questioned, his voice dangerously low.

Sakura looked at him with fear. "Sasuke… Kun?"

"Why?" He growled at her.

"B… Because you… are my friend…?" Sakura was quaking. What had she done wrong? She was just being friendly!

Sasuke slammed her against the wall. "I am _not_ your friend." His hand grew tighter, restricting her breathing. "You have no friends. You have nothing. I could kill you, right now, and I wouldn't flinch. I am _not_ your friend." He slammed her head into the wall again, before continuing. "I am _not_ your friend, and you are not _my_ friend. I will hurt you, Sakura. You will rue the day you foolishly led yourself to believe that I was your friend."

He picked her up by the neck and sat her on the bench top, before removing her undergarments.

Sakura quickly caught on. "No, please Sasuke! Gomen! Gomen! I didn't mean to offend you! You are not my friend! I get it! Please just let me go!" She shrieked, tears spilling from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away. _Why today?_

"You don't get it, and until you do, I will prove it! You have been working your way in here, allowing yourself to believe that if you were pleasant and if you didn't fan girl me, that I would allow you to form a _bond -_" his face grimaced at the word 'bond' "- with me. That I would let us be _friends_. No. You have much to learn, Sakura. I am not the young boy I once was, and I _will_ make you pay." Malice dripped from his voice with every word.

He finished with her underwear, then worked on his. Sakura's mind was clouded by confusion and fear. She knew what was happening, and yet was powerless to stop it. **And then, pain rippled through her lower abdomen as he pierced her core. She let out a gasp of pain and could feel blood starting to drip from her core. He didn't wait for her, he continued, not caring for her pain, not caring that she had previously been a virgin. She clutched his shoulders, as if they were her life boat. She closed her eyes and tried to block the pain from her mind. She couldn't.**

**He continued to thrust in and out of her, ripping and tearing his way through the virgin flesh and muscle. Sakura's breath came in sobs. It felt like hours had passed since he first started his assault on her body.**

"**Sasuke… Please…" **_**Stop…**_** Sakura couldn't get the last word past her gritted teeth. It was too much pain. There was no pleasure in this. It was rape, and she knew it. She couldn't believe that it was Sasuke who would do this, though. She knew that he didn't overly care for her, but to despise her this much?**

**With a final grunt, Sasuke came and immediately stepped back.** Sakura clamped her legs shut and felt blood pulsate from her body.

"Hn. Isn't sex meant to be special? There was nothing remotely thrilling about that." Sasuke said, before going towards the bathroom. Only when Sakura heard the shower start did she let her tears fall.

She could feel blood dripping down her legs and staining her tunic. She tried to move off the bench, but her legs gave out as soon as they hit the floor. The blood that signified her loss of innocence dripped off the bench and onto her waist.

_Why?_ Sakura thought. _Why me? I just lost my virginity to a man who was meant to be my friend, a man I use to love. It shouldn't have happened like this. Sex is meant to take place between two people who love and trust each other to no end. Two people who wish to spend their lives together._ Sakura groaned as she tried to move her leg and that caused more blood to spill from her ruined core. Tears dripped down her cheeks to remind her of all that she had lost.

"Mama… Help me," she whispered, sobbing onto her arm.

It wasn't until Sasuke was in the shower that he noticed the blood that covered his entire groin. Sasuke regretted what he had done to Sakura, but only slightly. He had only done that to her out of fear. Fear that if she continued with what she was doing, he would crack, and start to become weak. Have _feelings_ and _emotions_. Experience things like Love and Happiness. That would not do. Hate and anger were the only two things he ever felt, and no stupid _girl_ was going to get in the way of that.

He did wonder, though, how so much blood had come to be. He stood there, pondering it for a moment, before he realised. _Shit. She was a virgin. She was a fucking virgin!_ Sasuke felt the first signs of guilt creeping their way into his heart, before he pushed it aside. _She had it coming when she added the suffix to my name_, he tried to convince himself.

He turned the shower off and stepped out, drying himself and putting some pants on. He wasn't going to apologise for what he did. He heard a knock on his door and exited the bathroom to get it.

"What?" He demanded of the young girl that stood at his door. Her purple eyes went wide upon seeing him and held out a small parcel.

"This is for Sakura, Sir." She muttered, handing him the parcel.

"Hn. Why?" He asked.

The girl looked at him with wide lavender eyes. "I.. It's her birthday today, Sir. I just wanted to give her a present." Sasuke's back stiffened in shock. _Today was her __birthday?__ Shit!_

"I'll make sure Sakura gets this." He held the box up and slammed the door in the girls face.

He slowly made his way towards the kitchen and saw Sakura lying on the floor, crying softly. Blood lay in a pool on the bench and around her abdomen, with rivulets streaking down her legs. Sasuke took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen.

Sakura heard Aya's voice at the door, and wanted to call out to her for help. She needed a pair of kind arms to hold her close and whisper to her that it was alright and that everything would be okay. She needed the reassurance. She needed a friend.

She heard the door slam and she flinched at the sound. She heard footsteps and tried, futilely, to shuffle away. She heard _him_ enter the kitchen and heard _him_ crouch down in front of her. She felt _him_ slowly pry her arms away from her face, almost gently, and she tried to move away from him, crying out when pain enveloped her. She clutched her stomach, doubling up on the ground.

"Sakura…" He said softly, almost like he would to a frightened animal. She refused to acknowledge him.

"Sakura…" He said again and lowered his face until it was level with hers. She raised her eyes until emerald met obsidian.

"You were a virgin." He stated. It wasn't a question. Sakura's eyes filled with tears again, wondering how he could be so cold. He took her tears as an assent.

"It was your birthday." Another statement, and Sakura nodded minutely.

"You should have told me." He reprimanded gently.

"I was about to." Sakura whispered.

She was right, he suddenly recalled. _"Hey, guess what, Sasuke Kun?"_ She had said. _"It's my birthday today!"_ he finished her unspoken sentence in his head.

He gently lifted her into his arms and lay her down in his bed. Sakura stared at him with frightened emeralds, before he reassured her, "I won't do that again." She looked wary, but relaxed a bit more when she saw him go over to the couch and lie down there.

She didn't sleep at all that night.

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><p><strong>Please don't hate me, it's all in the name of the story!<strong>

**I'm trying really hard to keep Sasuke as OC as physically possible (even though I have slipped up a couple of times, ie, last chapter). It really pisses me off when people write him basically running around in a fairy costume from start to finish in a story. If anything, he can at least become nice as the story progresses!**

**Uh, from tomorrow I'm going on holidays for around ten days, so I won't update for a little while (I don't think I'll get internet access where I'm going :Z) But if I do get a chance, I promise to update!**

**So yes, that's basically it. Preview time!**

**Chapter 8 - Warnings**

_...He took a deep breath, and started to speak. "Sakura, you should have known to not try and get close to me. It will only cause you pain, as you found out last night. I meant what I said; I could kill you, and I wouldn't flinch. I won't touch you like that again, I promise you. I regret what I did. But in turn, I am going to warn you: Do not make the mistake of trying to form a bond with me. It will only lead to dispair."..._

**So tell me what you think (and please, no hate, guys).**

**Until next time!**

**x**


	8. Warnings

**Hey there. I'm back!**

**As you've probably guessed by now, I didn't have internet access where I was... But I'm back now, and I'm putting up the next chapter!**

**I'll leave everything else at the bottom of the page. For now, ONWARDS!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only this story :)**

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><p>Sakura's eyes were itching with exhaustion when Sasuke rose from the couch. She watched him walk into the bathroom and heard the shower start. She was terrified to make a noise or do something wrong, again, so she tried to get out of bed and go make him breakfast. She let out a squeak of pain as she tried to move her lower abdomen, and heard the shower turn off immediately. Sasuke walked out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist.<p>

She started to shake in fear, hoping that he wasn't about to hurt her again for disrupting the silence of the morning. He stopped at the side of the bed and looked down at her, no anger or hatred etched on his face.

"Stay in bed for the day. Let your body heal. You've been through enough," he said in a monotone, and went back to the bathroom.

Sakura was perplexed. Why was he treating her nicely? Why was he being kind? Sasuke wasn't a kind person! This behaviour was completely out of the norm. Last night he brutally took her innocence, and now it seemed as if he was trying to… Apologise? What? Did he fall and hit his head in the shower last night?

When Sasuke appeared from the bathroom, fully dressed this time, Sakura watched him with frightened eyes. He went to the kitchen, got a tomato, and went to walk out of the room. Before he reached the door, however, he stopped, as if remembering something. He went to a table and took a small parcel, which he handed to Sakura. "This is for you. A girl dropped it off last night." And he turned to go. When he stepped outside the room, he stopped a second time. "Sakura?" He turned to look directly into her eyes. "I'll be back later this afternoon. Just try and relax for the day." With that, he was gone, locking the door behind him.

As soon as the door was locked, Sakura felt a wave of relief pass through her body as her muscles loosened up. She reached for the parcel and took the small card to read it.

_Dearest Sakura Chan._

_I hope you have a wonderful birthday. It isn't much, but it means a lot to me. I would be honoured if you would have it._

Sakura carefully opened the package and looked inside. There was a piece of lavender ribbon with a white infinity loop at the end. Engraved in the bottom of it was 永久. 'Forever.' Sakura smiled and tied the ribbon around her neck.

She soon fell asleep.

She woke to the smell of cooking pasta. She sat up quickly and groaned when the motion set off the pain in her lower abdomen. Sasuke's face appeared around the corner at her groan, before disappearing back into the kitchen. Five minutes later he brought out two plates of pasta with tomato paste on them. He sat on the edge of the bed and handed Sakura one of the plates.

Sakura looked at the plate, unsure whether to eat it or not.

"It's not poisoned," Sasuke said, then ate some of the pasta with sauce off her plate to prove it. Sakura nodded and started to eat, her eyes never leaving him.

They finished in silence and Sasuke took the plates into the kitchen

Again, the question of 'Why' crept its way into Sakura's mind, along with 'Do I want to know the answer?' Sasuke emerged from the kitchen and resumed sitting on the bed. He took a deep breath and started to speak. "Sakura, you should have known to not try and get close to me. It will only cause you pain, as you found out last night. I meant what I said; I could kill you and I wouldn't flinch. I won't touch you like that again, I promise you. I regret what I did. But in turn I am going to warn you: Do not make the mistake of trying to form a bond with me. It will only lead to despair." He stood up from the bed. "You may stay there until you have recovered. You are relieved of doing any work until then." With that he went to the kitchen and started doing the dishes.

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><p>Naruto stood outside the door to Hinata's apartment, nerves alight. He hadn't spoken to her since he had kissed her and now he had to talk to her.<p>

But… He'd been waiting here for over fifteen minutes and Hinata still hadn't appeared. Sighing, he turned to leave.

"N… Naruto Kun?" He heard Hinata stutter quietly.

Naruto turned slowly and saw her standing there in her nightgown.

"Hinata Chan, can we talk?" Naruto asked.

Hinata's eyes went wide for a moment, before she nodded. "Hai." She stepped aside to allow Naruto entrance. He walked in and followed Hinata to her living room where a half drunk cup of tea was sitting. He sat down on one of the beige couches and saw that a light blush was making its way up Hinata's cheeks.

"Hinata," Naruto began, "Hinata, I want to say I'm sorry if I've upset you since… _Then_. Since Sakura's disappearance I've felt so lost. I loved her very much, but she never returned my feelings. Y'know, she was always trying to point me towards you, but I just couldn't seem to see past her. Or I didn't want to." He smiled a bit at the memory. "To me, she was like my sun, and to me, you are like the moon."

"What are you trying to say, Naruto Kun?" Hinata asked.

Naruto shot her one of his infamous grins.

"Hinata, what I'm trying to say is that I was so blinded by my 'Sun' that I couldn't see the beauty of the moon, and it's taken one of my darkest hours to appreciate it… Not that you're an 'it', I mean… Wow, I sound like such a baka! That came out all wrong! Ugh, what is wrong with me…?" Naruto continued to ramble to himself.

Hinata sat there, her face lighting up like a bright red neon sign. "Naruto Kun!" She squeaked, then slowly stood up and walked over to him. Naruto was so busy mumbling to himself that he didn't even realise.

Hinata knelt down in front of him and waited until he looked at her.

"Naruto Kun, w… Would you like to go and get some… Some Ramen some time… With me?" She asked timidly, going, if possible, an even brighter shade of red.

Naruto smiled at her. "I'd like that very much, Hinata Chan." He leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the lips, arms prepared to catch Hinata if she started to faint.

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><p><strong>Yes, I know, I'm sorry! You guys have been waiting so patiently for the next chapter, and all it is is this crummy tiny little thing! But this is the shortest chapter in the whole story. Honest! I'll post the next chapter tomorrow, I swear! And that chapter is WAY longer than this one, so bear with me. But apart from that...<strong>

**Thank you so so soooo much to all of those that reviewed or added it to their favourites, or added me to their favourite authors (That makes me feel really special XD) or added this to their alerts, or are just reading along because you want to... I know I get kinda crabby at times, but thanks for putting up with me :)**

**Uh, my holiday was pretty good :P I've finished re writing the story! My brother got to bring a friend along, and that was a tad nightmarish :Z (My brother thinks that it's "cool" to swear, be rude and be abusive towards others whilst his friends are present. Joy.) But he flew home on the wednesday, so that made things a tad easier :P But yeah... I guess I'll give you that preview now X)**

_**Chapter 9 - Deciphering Braille**_

_**... She had started to trust him again (not that that was his fault!) and he had hurt her in basically one of the worst ways. He had stolen probably the only claim to innocence she had left...**_

_**... In some sick, perverted way, he was glad it was **_**him _who had taken that away from her. He was always the reason for her tears, what's one more reason for her to cry?_**

**Until tomorrow :)**


	9. Deciphering Braille

**Told you I'd post it the next day X) I haven't even had breakfast yet :P shh... (emphasis on the yet.)**

**Anyways, Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only this story**

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><p>Two days after Sasuke's assault on Sakura, she could move around freely. There were still pains near her core, but it was bearable. When she had finished her housework, she rushed out to go and see Aya.<p>

"Sakura!" Aya smiled at her. "I see you got my present." She pointed to the necklace around Sakura's neck.

"Hai." Sakura replied. "I haven't taken it off. It's beautiful! Where did you get it?" She asked.

Aya smiled and blushed. "It is the necklace that Masa gave me when we first became friends. It's his way of saying that we would be friends forever, no matter what happened."

"Aya! I can't accept this!" Sakura exclaimed. She could only imagine how much it must mean to her.

"You can and will. It was mine to give and I hope that you will think of it as my way of saying that I hope we can be friends, no matter what happens."

Sakura was shocked and honoured. "Of course, Aya. I would have thought that anyway." She smiled at the girl.

Aya took Sakura's hand and they sneaked away into one of the more obscure passages. "So, Sakura, where have you been? I haven't seen you since the day before your birthday!" She smiled at her friend, but her face dropped when she saw that there were tears in Sakura's eyes. "Sakura, what's wrong? What happened?" She asked, worried.

Sakura turned away and shook her head, tears starting to fall. "Nothing. At least, nothing I'd like to talk about."

Aya's brow creased in worry. "Sakura, it's alright. You can tell me, you know. I can help you." She carefully helped Sakura sit down as said woman cried into her shoulder.

"Aya," Sakura choked out between sobs. "I… It's Sasuke. What he did. I… I was trying to be friendly and called him what I use to, back when we were genins. I called him Sasuke Kun. He… He got so _angry_ at that, and before I could do anything he… He… Took advantage… Of me… I couldn't move because it hurt so bad. I've been so frightened because after that he started treating me… almost kindly. I'm so scared, Aya. I don't know what to do anymore. I just want to get away from here." She continued crying while Aya rubbed her slowly on the back.

They stayed like that for a while, not speaking, just taking comfort in each other's presence.

"Sakura," Aya finally broke the silence. "It's alright. Everything will turn out okay. You'll see. I'm here, and I'll always be here for you. I know exactly how you feel. The first time that Shinji did that to me, I felt disgusting, violated, and so alone. As if nobody out there cared. I cursed Masa for leaving me to this fate, and I cursed my friends and family. But then you came along and showed me that even in the darkest of times a friend can be found. I will help you, I will be here for you." She took Sakura's face in both hands and smiled at her. "Just hold on. We can make it through this." Sakura smiled at her, treasuring the kindness that she was showing her.

Arigato, Aya. You are a true friend."

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><p>Over the next few weeks, Orochimaru and many of his followers from Oto moved to the safe house in Ishigakure, where they stayed for four days. Then they moved to the Land of Birds, underneath Wataridori Lake. This base was smaller than Oto, but Sasuke received a room similar to his previous one. Sakura hardly saw or spoke to Sasuke in this time and only when asking him what he wanted to eat. Sakura was overjoyed to hear that Shinji was to be coming with Orochimaru, because that meant that Aya was coming too. The two girls had been terrified that one of them would have been either left behind or moved to a different base.<p>

Sakura had noticed that Sasuke's entire manner had changed towards her completely. Where he use to be cold and rude, he would now address her politely (if nonchalantly) and would occasionally help if there was a lot of housework.

A week after the move, Sakura was relieved to find out that she wasn't pregnant. The idea of having Sasuke's child after what he had done to her was almost nauseating. Sakura no longer tried to subtly make him care for her. She had given up. She feared that if she ever tried to get close to Sasuke again, he would hurt her, probably worse than last time.

Aya was her only link to sanity and kindness. If it wasn't for her, Sakura wasn't sure if she would have survived this long.

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><p>The move had taken its toll on Sasuke. Orochimaru had become unbearable again and he had spent a lot of time trying to let Sakura keep to herself. He spent most of his time training. Now that Itachi was dead, he didn't have much purpose in life, apart from restoring his clan. And he thought that killing Itachi would be the hard part! He knew all about sex and everything it entailed, but the whole part of 'wooing' a girl was completely beyond him.<p>

The opposite sex had never seemed more frightening.

After he had raped Sakura, he had no idea how to act around her. Kind? Yeah, how the hell was he meant to do that? Nasty? She'd probably expect that, and he didn't want her to have the satisfaction of being able to read him. So he had tried to warn her to keep away from him. It was true that he didn't want to hurt her like that again, which was strange. He usually couldn't care less when someone around him was upset. But something in her eyes had reminded him of… Well, himself, when Itachi had slaughtered his clan. The look of fear in her eyes… And the betrayal. That was the worst. She had started to trust him again (not that that was his fault!) and he had hurt her in basically one of the worst ways. He had stolen probably the only claim to innocence she had left. She had seen people die and she had been the cause of their death. She had seen torture and been tortured herself. She was no child and she would have lost many childhood friends in combat. Now he had stolen that last bit of innocence from her, and he regretted it, to a degree.

In some sick, perverted way, he was glad it was _him_ who had taken that away from her. He was always the reason for her tears, what's one more reason for her to cry?

But at the same time, he didn't like it. He hated seeing her cry and knowing that he was the reason. Maybe because he knew what it was like to be the victim? He was unsure. All he knew was that the idea of seeing her hurt like that again was something he didn't want to have to deal with.

Sasuke sighed at his jumble of thoughts and looked at the calm waters of Wataridori Lake.

Sasuke didn't know why he had eventually returned to Orochimaru. Maybe it was because he had nowhere else to go? He couldn't go back to Konoha, for two reasons; The first reason, and lesser of the two, was that he was considered an S rank criminal. He'd probably have people attempt to kill him on sight. Sasuke smirked. _Attempt._ The second reason was that Konoha was responsible for the annihilation of his clan. How on earth could he face the people who had ordered the destruction of his clan? Much less raise a family there knowing that Konoha would probably try to kill them again.

No. He couldn't go back to Konoha. So after that, Orochimaru was the only other person who had ever offered him sanctuary. Albeit, the last time was so that Orochimaru could use him as his next vessel, but now the tables had turned. Orochimaru seemed to _fear_ Sasuke. And with good reason. Sasuke had already beaten Orochimaru once, and he could do it again. In fact, if it wasn't for Kabuto and his bloody Bodisuitchi Fukkatsu-Jutsu*, Orochimaru would be pushing up daisies. Kabuto had only just finished developing the new Jutsu before Sasuke had defeated Orochimaru, and he had put it to good use, using one of Orochimaru's henchmen to trade their life in the Otherworld for Orochimaru's. It had taken a long time for the Jutsu to complete, but it had gotten there eventually.

And now, Orochimaru was back, less powerful than before, but still formidable by many standards.

But the biggest trouble on Sasuke's mind was Sakura. Every single day that he saw her, he could feel the ice that encased his heart begin to thaw just that little bit. He had started treating her _politely_. Something was definitely wrong with him. He didn't treat anyone politely! He could always try to push her away more by acting cruel towards her, but the idea of seeing her hurt eyes again disgusted him. It made him angry. The looks she currently gave him were bad enough! Whenever he looked into her emeralds, all he could see was the same sentence: _Please don't hurt me, Sasuke._ And how he wanted to tell her that he wouldn't! Or, at least, he'd try not to. But even if he did tell her, she wouldn't believe him.

Ugh! Sasuke couldn't even find peace in his own thoughts. He stood up from his spot and walked back towards the hideout.

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><p>The next couple of months passed by without much interesting happening. Sasuke continued to train, occasionally going on an errand for Orochimaru. Sakura and Aya became extremely close.<p>

"Aya," Sakura said to the girl one day, "I have been really confused as to Sasuke's behaviour towards me."

"Oh?" Aya asked, interested.

"He's been… Polite. You don't think he's sick, do you?" Sakura said and Aya laughed.

"Why do you ask?" She giggled.

Sakura sighed. "Well, this is Sasuke we're talking about. He isn't a nice guy. He isn't polite, and yet, the other day, he _thanked _me." It was true. Sakura had played the scene over and over in her head, and every time it was the same.

_Sakura had finished her dinner and was starting to wash the dishes. Quietly, Sasuke stepped into the kitchen to hand her his empty plate._

"_I hope it was to your liking, Sasuke." Sakura said tonelessly._

_Sasuke sniffed and Sakura could _feel_ how tense he was. Almost as if he was preparing himself for some incredibly painful ordeal, one which he didn't think he'd survive._

"_Aa," he said, "it was enjoyable. Arigato." He quickly stepped from the room._

_Sakura turned to look at his retreating back, her mouth dangling open comically. Did he just say 'Arigato'? To me? No, it must have been something else. 'I got to…', maybe? Or 'Ari got two…'? Or… Sakura shook her head and mechanically continued with the dishes._

Aya wash rolling around on the ground, laughing her head off. "You're worried about him, because he _thanked_ you? Oh, I wish I'd recorded that! As proof that Sasuke is partly human and not just some socially retarded, obsessive compulsive, angsty, freakish demon alien!" She continued laughing, looking as if she would never stop.

Sakura chortled. "I know, hey? It's a miracle!" The two girls continued laughing. A while later, when they had sobered, Aya started to speak.

"Sakura, I overheard Shinji saying that Orochimaru is planning on leaving again soon. I hope that we will be able to stay together."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "I'm sure we will. I think that Shinji is one of Orochimaru's better guards, so Orochimaru will want to keep him around."

"Hai. I think that Shinji wants me back now, so I have to go." Aya stood up and dashed back to Shinji's room.

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><p>Sasuke walked up to Orochimaru. "You called?" He asked rudely.<p>

"Hai, Sasuke San." Orochimaru hissed in his usual snake like way. "In the next few weeks, we will be moving to our base on Shio Island. But we've heard that there are some people who have started to suspect it. Go to Crescent Moon Island and see if there are any there who suspect it. Eliminate them if necessary."

Sasuke nodded. _Finally_, he thought, _a chance to get away from this bloody place._ "Hai." He turned to leave.

"Oh, and Sasuke San?" Orochimaru called.

Sasuke turned to face him.

"I'm sending Karin along with you."

Sasuke groaned internally. _Why her, of all people?_ He thought, before turning to leave.

When Sasuke gave back his empty dinner plate that night, he informed Sakura of where he would be.

"I will be gone for at least a week. I leave tomorrow."

"Hai."

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><p><strong>See? I told you that there would be more in this one XD (smiles proudly at self)<strong>

*****Bodisuitchi Fukkatsu-Jutsu - Again, another made up jutsu. I think it translates directly into "body switching jutsu," but don't hold me to that. (I wrote this chapter ages ago, but that's the general idea). In truth, I just can't be bothered to look up the exact jutsu I want. And even if I do, there's no guarantee that there will be a jutsu like that. I think I've heard tell of a jutsu like this one, but whether they will have the name of it, and then the japanese translation, is not guaranteed. So I make them up. I feel smart :)****

**So yeah... This chapter was more of a plot development one, along with the last. Starting next chapter, things are going to start becoming very interesting, and the main plot of the story will start. I don't really have much else to say, so preview time :)**

_**Chapter 10 - Broken**_

_**..."TELL ME HER FUCKING NAME!" He screeched at the quivering girl.**_

_**"Sakura! Her... Her name is Sakura... Please... Please don't hurt her, Shinji. I'll do anything. Please..." Aya begged. **_**I'm so sorry, Sakura. Please forgive me..._ She thought._**

**_"Shut up, you little whore." Shinji said, before knocking her unconscious. He had a plan for this _Sakura, _to teach her to keep away from people she shouldn't get involved with..._**

**Until whenever I update next :)**

**x**


	10. Broken

**Okay, next chapter :) This is where the really main part of the story will start, and it's going to get much darker from here on out :P Yay for darkness! Uhh... I don't have much else to say apart from that, so enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto :)**

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><p>Aya cowered in the corner of the room, trying to hide herself from Shinji's wrath. She couldn't understand what was going on. He had never been this cruel before. She had gotten back after spending an hour or so with Sakura, and he had immediately started attacking her. As far as she could tell, he was angry with her for being… Happy.<p>

She watched with battered breath as Shinji advanced, his yellow ochre eyes watching her like a predator's.

"Shinji, please," Aya gasped, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't understand, what do you want?" She shuffled back, trying to get away.

Shinji pounced on her, his hands grasping around her throat. "Why have you been so happy? What has come over you?" He growled, murder in his eyes.

Aya struggled for air. "N… Nothing, Sir." She choked.

He smashed her head against the wall, almost knocking her unconscious. "Nothing my arse. Tell me!" He ordered.

"Nothing, sir!" Aya repeated, but unconvincingly. She knew that he wouldn't stop his assault on her until she told him. But her friendship with Sakura was at stake!

Shinji punched the side of her face and Aya saw stars. "TELL ME!" He shouted at her, and Aya's courage broke.

"I… I have a friend…" She sobbed.

Shinji stopped for a moment, his fist raised. "Who?" He asked, malice dripping from his voice.

"Her… Her name…" Aya lost her voice and Shinji punched her again.

"TELL ME HER FUCKING NAME!" he screeched at the quivering girl.

"Sakura! Her… Her name is Sakura… Please… Please don't hurt her, Shinji. I'll do anything. Please…" Aya begged. _I'm so sorry, Sakura. Please forgive me…_ She thought.

"Shut up, you little whore." Shinji said, before knocking her unconscious. He had a plan for this _Sakura,_ to teach her to keep away from people she shouldn't get involved with.

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><p>Sakura sighed as she woke up. Sasuke would be coming back tonight. That week had been great. Very peaceful. There wasn't much housework to be done, so Sakura finished it quickly. She prepared her own lunch and ate it thoughtfully. She wondered what Aya was up to. The two had organised to meet that day at about three in the afternoon, so at that time, Sakura set out.<p>

She turned the corner in the passage where they usually met and saw an outline.

"Aya!" She exclaimed, running towards her friend. The person stood up and Sakura slowed her pace, realising that this was not Aya. "Gomen, sir. I mistook you for someone I know." Sakura said apologetically.

The figure walked towards her. "So," they began, "you are Sakura. Aya has told me _all_ about you." He pounced on her and slammed her into the wall.

"What are you doing, you freak?" Sakura demanded, shocked by the irrational behaviour. The man dragged her to the end of the hall and Sakura could vaguely see Aya, tied up and struggling against her bonds. "Aya…" Sakura breathed. "Are you alright?" She went to go and help her friend, but before she could get there –

"No you don't," and she felt a gag being shoved roughly into her mouth, before she was thrown against the wall again. She smelt a putrid breath in her face as the man held her to the wall.

"Shinji…" Sakura heard Aya's weak voice, "please, don't…"

"Who asked you to speak?" Shinji hissed at her and Aya whimpered.

"Now," Shinji said, "I am going to teach you a lesson for messing with Aya. Because of your influence she has become rude and arrogant. It's time she learnt her lesson." He kneed Sakura in the stomach, which brought her to all fours, coughing blood into her gag. Shinji started raining punches and kicks down on Sakura's body without mercy.

_The worst part about all of this,_ Sakura thought, _is that if I had access to my chakra, this guy would be a bloody pulp right now. Ugh! I feel so weak and defenceless! _That was the last thing she could think as Shinji's assault on her grew more and more vicious.

Shinji continued to beat Sakura's body black and blue. Sakura felt a crack as one of her ribs broke, and a few minutes after that felt another break. Sakura refused to cry in front of him. She refused to show him any weakness whatsoever. He kicked her in the face, sending her sprawling onto her back, before he punched her in the gut, winding her.

He stepped back and Sakura hoped that he would finish there. Oh how wrong she was.

"Jutsu o chōkyō maindo*!" Shinji cried, and placed his palm on Sakura's temple. Sakura immediately felt thousands of invisible needles slowly pierce her skin, like the fangs of monsters, ripping and tearing through the flesh of the kill. Before she realised what she was doing, she screamed, but it was muffled by the gag.

Sakura barely heard the words that Shinji said to her. "Yes, Sakura. Scream for me. And know that this is what will await you if you ever try to be friends with Aya again." Then he started cackling.

Every so often, the pain would change. Get worse. After the needles, it felt as though screws were being driven through her skull, through her eyes, all into her body. Sakura felt all of her bones being smashed into tiny shards, then immediately being put back together. As if her skeleton were a puzzle and it was being constantly smashed and re made. It felt like a thousand knives had sliced all over her body, and molten lead was being poured into the gaping wounds. Then her whole body was submerged into a vat of acid, and all of her muscles, all of her cells, were slowly dissolved. Sakura could feel her body implode, then explode, before reforming and starting the process all over again. Over and over again.

And yet, Sakura's body remained completely intact, on the ground of that dimly lit corridor. Muffled screams fell from her mouth in a never ending stream.

After what could easily have been hours, the pain subsided. Sakura lay there panting and hearing Aya crying. Shinji crouched before her and held her up by the hair. "If you ever come near Aya again, I'll kill you." He hissed. He twisted her head brutally to look at Aya. "Get a good look, Sakura. This is the last you'll ever see of her." Sakura had stopped listening and tried to communicate with Aya.

'_Sakura, I am so sorry. Please forgive me.'_

'_There is nothing to forgive, Aya. I understand why you did it.'_

'_We will see each other again, right?'_

'_Of course, Aya. Don't ever doubt that. I'll get away us both away from here.'_

'_You'll be in my thoughts.'_

'_Thank you for everything, Aya. I promise I'll get you out.'_

'_Arigato, Sakura Chan.'_

Shinji smashed her face back onto the ground and hauled Aya away.

Sakura stared after them before darkness consumed her world.

* * *

><p>Sasuke returned to his room at about midnight. He had seen Orochimaru and told him that there were no suspicions about Shio Island being a base.<p>

Now he was looking forward to some food and a sleep. He walked quietly into the room, knowing that Sakura would be asleep. When he got to the kitchen, he was surprised to find that there was no evidence of food… Or freshly cleaned dishes. He listened intently to the adjacent room. He couldn't hear her breathing.

_Shit._ He thought. _Just what I need._ Sasuke went to the living room and bit his thumb, slamming his hand to the ground "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He said, and in a puff of white smoke, four small white snakes appeared.

"How may we ssserve you, Ssassuke?" They hissed in unison.

"A kunoichi, Sakura, is missing. Find her." He ordered them.

"Hai." They slithered out of the door and Sasuke sat on the lounge. He'd hardly sat there for five minutes when one of his snakes reappeared in the doorway.

"Sukeru, have you found her?" He asked the snake.

"Hai." Sukeru answered.

"Take me to her." He followed the snake from the room.

Sukeru led Sasuke through a few winding passages, before the sound of laboured breathing met his ears.

"Arigato, Sukeru. I can take it from here." The snake disappeared as Sasuke ran around the final corner.

He saw her, lying there like a broken doll, bruised and bloody, but thankfully alive.

"Sakura," he breathed, kneeling before her. "What happened to you?"

Sakura groaned, her eyes opening slightly. "Sasuke?" She muttered, and Sasuke cringed internally at the pain evident in her voice.

"Who did this to you?" He demanded softly, but she had already fainted again.

He lifted her into his arms gently and carried her back to his room, laying her softly on his bed.

He didn't leave her side until she woke the next afternoon.

When she woke up, it was with hesitation, as if she was afraid of opening her eyes. She turned her head and saw Sasuke sitting beside her, his eyes not leaving her face.

"Sasuke?" She asked in confusion.

"Sakura," Sasuke said quietly. "Who attacked you?"

Sakura's eyes went wide and she lay back down, turning away from him. "Nothing happened." She mumbled.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura. Who did that to you?" He asked, more sternly this time.

Sakura could feel tears welling up, but quickly tried to brush them away. She didn't want to remember last night. Yeah, the torture was bad enough, but it was nothing in comparison to losing Aya as a friend. "No one."

Sasuke gently turned her over so that she faced him. "Who did that to you?"

Sakura stared at him, pain and confusion in her eyes. "Why? Why do you care?" She asked him.

Sasuke blanched, before he started to question himself that exact same thing. Why did he care? He shouldn't. It's not like he entirely cared for Sakura… did he? Now that he thought about it, he wasn't entirely sure of that himself. But that was impossible! He couldn't care about her! He wouldn't! It was Sakura! Fan Girl Sakura! She was always the one who was being protected, no real threat, only an average kunoichi. And yet, why did he feel such an overwhelming anger at the thought that she had been hurt? He shrugged it off, deciding to leave it until later.

"I don't care. Who did that to you?" He repeated angrily.

Sakura was tempted to tell him that he had just contradicted himself, but decided against it. "I told you: Nobody!" She felt her own anger rise up. Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I will not have this argument with you Sakura. Who did that to you?" He started to raise his voice.

"Sasuke, I'd just rather be left alone right now. Please." She turned back over, not wanting to look at him.

Sasuke let out a long breath. "Sakura, if you don't tell me who he is, they could hurt someone else." He hoped that by guilt tripping her it would make her talk.

It worked. Sakura was sure that Shinji would still be hurting Aya. That was something she couldn't allow. "His name is Shinji."

Sasuke nodded. "Hm." He turned and walked from the room.

Sasuke couldn't explain the anger that was rising up inside of him. He didn't want to think about why it was there. All he knew was that Sakura had been hurt, and he wanted to _destroy_ the bastard who had done it. He knew of Shinji vaguely, and he knew that Orochimaru wouldn't be happy with him for killing Shinji, but Sasuke could have cared less. He just wanted Sakura to be safe.

Ever since… _That_… had happened on his mission for Shio Island, Sasuke knew that he had made a terrible mistake with how he had been treating Sakura. He'd come to realise that, if nothing else, he cared for her. Unfortunately it had taken a stupid mistake on his part to realise it.

But that didn't matter now. All he knew, all he cared about, was that Sakura had been broken by this man, by this… _abomination_, and Sasuke wasn't going to stand for it. He would make Shinji pay dearly for what he had done.

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><p><strong>*Jutsu o chōkyō maindo - Yeah, another made up jutsu. I'm so lazy :P This one (I think) translates into "Mind torture Jutsu", or something along those lines...<strong>

**So what do you think? Good? Bad? Meh? Oh well, I'm getting there. Hey, just a random question, (like, seriously random) but did anyone like the name of the last chapter? I thought it sounded pretty snazzy :P I'll be quiet now. Preview time!**

**Chapter 11 - Healing**

_**..."I have to put these away, Sasuke." She tried to shrug around him, but Sasuke blocked her way.**_

_**"I didn't like seeing you hurt." He told her, his eyes glued to the ground. Sakura realised, with a hint of amusement, that he seemed nervous. Oh what she would give to catch this on tape; the great Sasuke Uchiha: Nervous!**_

_**... He looked at her so quickly, Sakura was surprised he didn't crick his neck. "I don't want to see you hurt again. Not by anyone... Especially not by me."...**_

**Hmm... I hope that I don't end up putting Sasuke too OOC. Oh well :P**

**x**


	11. Healing

**Hey hey, next chapter now :) School's going to be starting soon again, so after this I will possibly post one more chapter then I might not be uploading quite as often, but I will try :) We'll see how we go :P**

**Uh, this chapter contains a lemon, and it's probably really badly written :S It's kinda funny, because I can write anything, from really sad things to really violent scenes, and write them in detail. Get me to write a lemon, and I'll turn bright red and ask to write a torture scene instead :P I'm strange like that. Anyways, here's the next chapter for you guys, so yay!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto**

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><p>Shinji lay down on his bed, proud of the work he had accomplished. Now that that Sakura girl was out of the way, Aya would go back to being subservient. He didn't like that she had a mind of her own.<p>

He heard a knock on the door and went to answer it. Standing there was none other than Uchiha Sasuke. Shinji's eyes bulged.

"Sasuke San! To what do I owe the pleasure?" Shinji couldn't help but seethe. Oh how he _hated_ Sasuke!

Sasuke walked to the small lounge and sat down lazily. "It has come to my attention that you've been mistreating the serving girls." He said bluntly.

Shinji shrugged, not caring. "Those bitches got what they deserved." Was all he said and Sasuke shot him a glare.

"Really? What was the crime?" He kept his voice in a monotone.

"They had become friends." Shinji replied. "We can't allow things like that here."

Sasuke pulled out Kusanagi and held it up to Shinji's throat. "You had no right to beat Sakura when she was defenceless. That was the work of a coward." He hissed, drawing a small bit of blood from Shinji's neck.

Shinji stood his ground. "She had it coming." Sasuke growled in response and pressed Kusanagi tighter into the fragile flesh.

"Sakura is my responsibility, and if she has done something wrong, then it is _me_ who will deal with her!" Sasuke told him, death evident in his voice.

Shinji ignore the danger he was in and shot back with "then maybe you should keep her on a tighter leash, like the bitch she is," before pushing Sasuke's arm away with surprising strength. He whipped out a few shuriken and flung them at Sasuke, who dogged all of them, or so he thought. His mind registered a dull pain in his right shoulder.

Sasuke saw red, and his whole being was overcome with bloodlust. He felt it, like lava was ripping through his veins, and heard it roaring in his ears like a mad lion.

Barely a wink in time passed when Sasuke appeared at Shinji's side, Kusanagi held in place at Shinji's throat.

"Now, you die." He whispered, and thrust the sword through Shinji's throat, ripping it out roughly. Shinji collapsed, clutching his ruined throat, choking in his own lifeblood. Sasuke stared at the gurgling man in satisfaction for a moment, before he heard a whimper and went to the kitchen. There, huddled in the corner, was the same purple eyed girl who appeared at his door back in March; Sakura's birthday, and memorable for another, far darker reason.

He stood before the cowering girl. "What is your name?"

"Aya, Sir." She squeaked in fear.

"You were his serving girl?"

"Hai."

Sasuke knelt before her. "I won't harm you. You will stay here and move with us when we do. You won't be used as a test subject, you have my word. However, you can't be set free; you know too much."

Aya nodded, her eyes wide. "Hai, Sir. Arigato."

Sasuke left the room, and slung Shinji's lifeless body over his shoulder, taking it away to be disposed of.

Sakura was sitting on the couch when Sasuke walked into the room, his white shirt stained with blood.

Sakura jumped up in shock. "Kami! Sasuke! Are you alright?" She shrieked, ignoring the pain in her chest.

"Calm yourself, Sakura. It is not my blood." Sasuke replied.

Sakura stared at him in shock. "Then… who…?" She started, before Sasuke interjected.

"Shinji's. He is dead." He started removing his blood - drenched shirt and Sakura saw a shuriken sticking out of his shoulder.

Sakura walked over to him. "Like hell you're not injured! You have a shuriken sticking out of your shoulder! Sit down; I'm going to heal you." She pushed him roughly down onto his bed before going to the bathroom and getting a cloth and some bandages.

Sasuke was confused for a moment before reaching to his shoulder and wincing in pain when he moved the shuriken. "How are you supposed to heal me? You can't access your chakra." He stated matter of factly. Sakura's angered face appeared from the bathroom, followed by the rest of her.

"Look here, Uchiha." And she poked him roughly in the chest. "Just because I can't access my chakra, _doesn't_ mean I don't know anything about medicine. I know the medicinal properties of _every_ plant. I spent months studying all of them. I know that lavender can help treat insomnia, headaches, anxiety, colds, flues and fevers. I know how to kill a man with a leaf! If you're not careful, I'll give you diarrhoea! So don't you _dare_ insult me by believing that I can't treat something as minor as a shuriken wound!" And she stormed back into the bathroom.

Sasuke sat there, almost feeling afraid. _Who knew that Sakura could be so scary?_ He thought. Certainly not him! When Sakura came out of the bathroom holding some bandages, a few small glass bottles and a wet cloth, he eyed her cautiously. She climbed behind him and carefully laid out the stuff in her hands.

"This is some Yarrow extract. I got it from Kabuto's lab when we moved. It has blood clotting and anti inflammatory properties. I have to put this on the wound as soon as I remove the shuriken so that blood won't go everywhere." She explained, showing him the bottle.

"Hm." Sasuke said in reply, before he had to clamp his jaw shut as Sakura tugged the shuriken from his frayed flesh. He was sure that she was only informing him of that to prove that she did know what she was doing.

"This could hurt a bit." And Sasuke felt her dabbing on the wound. She was right. That stuff hurt like a bitch! At first it felt searing hot, then freezing cold.

"Okay, and this is a poultice made of Snapdragon leaves and flowers. It'll help with any infection that may occur." She applied the poultice around the wound, before using the wet cloth to remove any excess blood from his body. She then used the bandages to bind the wound. "Leave that there for a few days and you should be good as new."

She didn't make to move from behind him and Sasuke could tell that she was trying to say something else.

Sakura took a deep breath. "A… Arigato, Sasuke. For standing up for me. It means a lot to me." She gathered the things into her arms and made to go back to the bathroom.

Fast as lightening, Sasuke was standing before her.

"I have to put these away, Sasuke." She tried to shrug around him, but Sasuke blocked her way.

"I didn't like seeing you hurt." He told her, his eyes glued to the ground. Sakura realised, with a hint of amusement, that he seemed nervous. Oh what she would give to catch this on tape; the great Sasuke Uchiha: Nervous!

"That's very kind of you." She told him, struggling to keep amusement out of her voice.

He looked at her so quickly, Sakura was surprised he didn't crick his neck. "I don't want to see you hurt again. Not by anyone… Especially not by me."

The confusion Sakura was feeling was blatantly obvious in her eyes. "Uh… Arigato?"

Sasuke sighed in annoyance. "I'm not very good at these things, Sakura, so you'll have to forgive me." He leaned his head forward and his lips made light contact with Sakura's. Sakura's eyes widened in shock and she dropped the objects in her hands. He hardly seemed to notice.

Sasuke moved forward, hesitantly, and placed his hands on her waist, never breaking the contact between their lips. Sakura slowly started to respond to him, and moved her lips with his, placing her hands on his chest. His arms slowly wrapped behind her, pulling her even closer, while her arms snaked up behind his neck. Sasuke slowly started to deepen the kiss and Sakura responded. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening! He hadn't ever really let on that he may care about her! In reality, he had vehemently refused to have any form of bond with her, even going as far as…

Sakura immediately broke the kiss and looked up at Sasuke with hurt and confused eyes. "Why?" She whispered, pain in her voice, her eyes starting to leak at the corners.

Sasuke's hands came up and wiped away the tears. "I don't know," he said truthfully, but suddenly seemed to realise what he had said and held his head in his hands. "I don't know!" He seemed in pain. "I don't understand!" He punched the wall behind him, putting a hole through it. He was trying to vent his frustration with himself. Why didn't he understand? Why didn't he know? He should! He should understand! He should know!

"I feel so weak and vulnerable whenever I'm around you Sakura! I should _hate_ you for that! For a while, I did!" He rounded on her, pain and confusion spilling from his eyes. Sakura was shocked that he would allow himself to express so much emotion. "Why do I feel weak when I'm around you? Why do I feel vulnerable? I detest it!" He pounded his hand on the wall again in frustration, gritting his teeth.

"And yet, why don't I hate you? You are the cause of this, and yet, I don't hate you! Quite the opposite actually! Why? Why does this," he held her in his arms, gently, softly, almost afraid that she might reject him, "why does this feel right?" His voice softened almost as quickly as his temper had risen. "I don't ever want to see you sad again. I want you to smile, and I want to be the reason that you smile. Whenever I'm around you, I feel light in here," he held his hand to his chest, "and whenever I hold you, or our hands touch, even for a second, it feels like someone has hit me with a chidori. But why? What is this? What is wrong with me?" He got angry again and rounded on the wall facing away from her.

"Is this a feeling or an emotion? Am I sick? Why does the idea of you being hurt, hurt me? It shouldn't! You should mean nothing to me! Your life should be as insignificant as a grain of sand to me!" He continued to pound the wall with his fist and his voice had risen to shouting level. "Yet your life means more to me than anything or anyone…" He sunk to the ground, his head buried in his hands. "What is wrong with me, Sakura? What is happening to me?" His voice was barely audible and he sounded in pain again.

Sakura had never heard Sasuke speak so much, or sound so distressed and unsure. She was unsure of what to do. This was _Sasuke_ for Kami sake! If she tried to comfort him, he may take that as her trying to take advantage of him during his time of weakness, and go as far as attempt to kill her. However, if she were to leave him, she could lose this one opportunity to properly understand Sasuke and get close to him. She thought for a moment before deciding to meet about half way.

Sakura crouched in front of him and carefully moved his arms away. Right now, he seemed so much like a child to her, one who was lost and confused and in so much pain, but had no idea how to let it out. She supposed that he had, in a way, reverted back to himself when he was a child; Sasuke had never been given a chance to have a proper childhood. His whole childhood had been spent trying to earn the approval of his father and brother. As soon as he had earned that, it was cruelly ripped away from him with the massacre of his clan. Sasuke had never known what it felt like to experience really positive emotions, or if he had, those emotions had been buried by years of anger and pain and hatred and betrayal.

"Sasuke, look at me." Sakura said gently, a small, reassuring smile adorning her features. "I know that you are confused by these emotions that you are feeling, but you can't be afraid of them. Even though this feeling that you are experiencing may make you feel vulnerable and weak, it is probably the most powerful emotion in the world, and as a result, makes the person who feels it stronger. It makes them stronger here," she placed her palm on her chest, "it can make people do crazy things, and it can save people, in more ways than one. Do not fear what you feel." Sakura shuffled forward and held Sasuke in her arms. "You are not weak, Sasuke. This feeling will only make you stronger. I promise." She carefully leaned forward and placed her forehead on his.

Sakura was still afraid of him, and it would take a while for her to ever get over that. Sasuke had given her very little reason to trust him, or care for him. She was afraid to be hurt by him. Again. He had left her on a stone bench out cold the first time she had told him of her feelings. He had tried to kill her, again taking advantage of her feelings, and he had raped her, breaking her spirit and the last hope that she may have had for him. She had been partially healed by Aya's friendship, but she supposed that seeing Aya was out of the question now; it was far too dangerous for both of them. Even now she wasn't sure if this was just a ploy on Sasuke's part to mislead her into believing that he actually cared for her. But then the question of 'Why' would come up, and for that Sakura had no answers. If he wanted her to bear his heir, he was perfectly capable of forcing it on her.

No. The only reason that Sasuke would be doing this was because he genuinely meant it. And besides, he was expressing far too much emotion for it to be fake. If Sasuke was lying and acting, he would _never_ go this far to try and convince her.

"Sakura," Sasuke breathed. He seemed nervous again, Sakura noted, and wondered why. "I know that you have every reason to distrust me, but I want to prove to you that you can trust me." He raised his head and started to kiss her again, slowly, hesitantly. His hand gently cupped her cheek, bringing her closer. Sakura leaned into the kiss, responding cautiously. She couldn't help but be surprised at Sasuke's body language. It wasn't demanding or insistent, so much as kind and gentle; two things that Sakura never believed that Sasuke possessed.

The male slowly deepened the kiss, his tongue hesitantly tapping her bottom lip, asking for permission. Sakura opened her mouth and allowed him to slip in. Sakura moved her body so that she was straddling his legs and slowly wound her arms around the back of his neck. He, in turn let his hands resume their original position on her waist, applying a bit of pressure so as to move her body closer, so that she was sitting flush against him.

Sasuke moved from her mouth and down her jaw towards the junction at her shoulder and neck. "Sakura," he mumbled out. Sakura could only groan her assent that she was listening. "I don't know what this is, and I don't know how to show what I'm feeling. But I know that this is a part of it, and I want to do this with you." Sakura brought his lips back up to hers, the best agreement that she could give in the situation. She seemed to have lost her voice. She felt like putty in his hands, but she could somehow tell that he wouldn't do anything to her if she told him not to.

He lifted her up and slowly lowered her onto his bed, never breaking the contact between their lips. Sakura knew what was about to happen, but didn't feel fear. She didn't feel anything but contentment and, surprisingly, safety.

Sasuke started to speak again. "Sakura, please, if you don't want to do this, then tell me. I swear I won't force you." Sakura just responded by continuing to kiss him and Sasuke gave up on talking for the moment. He just wanted to hold her, to love her, even if he didn't know how. He didn't want to hurt her, didn't want to see her hurt.

If nothing else, Sasuke was possessive. And for now, Sakura was his. He would die trying to protect her, as he had been willing to give his body and life to avenge his clan. That same obsessive passion would make him do anything for her.

His hands left their place at her waist and moved their way to the hem of her tunic, which he started to pull up. He heard Sakura gasp, and again asked her if she was okay; if she wanted to stop; if she wanted to go through with it. She groaned her assent, and to prove it helped him with the removal of the offending article, before tugging at his shirt. He quickly ripped it off and again started assaulting her mouth with his. Her touch, her feel, her _taste_, it was driving him crazy. His mind started going hazy with lust and need and love... whoa, where did that come from? Love. It was a concept that seemed far too terrifying and out of reach for a guy like Sasuke. How could he ever be capable of feeling or even expressing love? But he supposed that that's what this was. Love. He wouldn't be caught admitting that any time soon, though.

Sasuke's hands trailed over Sakura's tightly muscled torso. Even imprisoned, she wouldn't let herself get out of shape. He couldn't help but smirk against her lips at this. His wandering fingers found the top of her pants and he started to slowly tug them off, giving her time to say no if he went too far. But he managed to pull them off completely with only a few groans of anticipation escaping her. He quickly started to work on his own pants and soon had them lying on the floor along with the rest of their discarded clothes.

"Sakura, are you sure about this?" He asked her again before he started to work on her bra. He wanted to do this more than anything, but he would stop if she asked him to.

Sakura stopped and looked straight into his eyes. "Sasuke," she said slowly, enunciating each word. "I want to do this." Sasuke searched her eyes for any hint of a lie, but found none. He nodded and continued with her bra and the rest of their clothes.

Before Sasuke pierced her, he looked into her eyes one last time for approval. She nodded and he kissed her as he entered her swiftly. He heard her gasp of pain and he cursed himself for not going slower. He waited for a moment as she adjusted to his intrusion. A few minutes later and she was starting to respond to him, moaning slightly at the new feeling of pleasure. He slowly removed himself almost completely from her, before sheathing himself inside of her once again. He waited each time for a moment before repeating the action, even though it almost killed him and he wanted nothing more than to pound into her, make her scream his name in ecstasy. But he wanted her to trust him again, and to do that, he had to prove that he was trustworthy.

But even his self control had its limits and he was soon picking up his pace, her groans of pleasure leading the way for both of their climaxes.

"Sa - ku - ra... Kami, you're so... Tight!" He gritted his teeth and thrust into her again, feeling her walls slowly start to constrict around his length.

"Sa... Uh... UH!" Sakura tried to call his name but it ended in a scream of pleasure as he went faster and faster, his rhythm getting more and more erratic as his climax drew near.

Sakura couldn't believe the feelings that were coursing through her. The knot in her stomach wound tighter and tighter as Sasuke drove in and out of her, harder and faster. Suddenly, she saw white, and screamed as the knot exploded within her, releasing her orgasm. She felt so completely at peace and complete. Sasuke continued to pound into her, but only lasted one or two more thrusts before he grunted, almost animalistically, his seed pouring into her.

He collapsed on top of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck, panting heavily. He was still sheathed inside of her, but couldn't summon the will to move. He didn't want to disturb the incredible waves of pleasure that were coursing through his system, nor did he want to disrupt the incredible air of joy that both were feeling at that moment. He wanted it to last as long as possible.

Eventually, though, he had to move off of her, so he rolled to his side and looked at her. She looked deep into his eyes, almost seeming to hear all the words that neither could express. He lifted his hand and stroked her cheek playing with the few strands of hair that stuck to her face.

"We should sleep." He eventually said to her, and the girl nodded, closing her eyes and meaning to drift off there. Sasuke snaked his arms around her waist and pulled her naked body flush against his. He felt her smile against his chest.

He kissed her on the temple. "Go to sleep, Sakura."

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><p><strong>So yeah, that's my first properly written lemon (I don't really count chapter 7). <strong>

**A couple of you have mentioned that Sakura is a bit OOC and that she's far more girly and stuff than she normally would be. I want you to know that I am completely aware of that, and I have reasons for writing her like that. 1) The situation she is in would probably force her to be more submissive than she would be normally, and she's lost her chakra, so she'd be feeling vulnerable as well. 2) She's grown up and matured and become happier (well, she _was!_) and I think that most of her bad arse attitude from shippuden was mostly because she had to toughen up a lot because of both her heartache at losing Sasuke and Tsunade's training :P So that's my reasoning.**

**I probably had more to say, but I forgot it, so here's your preview :)**

_**Chapter 12 - On Hands and Knees**_

_**Sasuke strode into the dimly lit room. He could sense Orochimaru at the other end, pacing, Kabuto beside him. And another chakra signature, one that he recognised instantly. He groaned in anger that **_**she _would be here._**

**_Karin ghosted up beside him, placing her palm on his bicep. "Kon'nichiwa, Sasuke Kun"..._**

**:)**


	12. On Hands and Knees

**Hey, I just want to say that you guys are awesome :) No, seriously, all of you are awesome, and I just wanted you to know that. I don't know if I'll be able to update quite as often anymore, because school goes back tomorrow, and I'm in my final term of year 11. Basically, this shit's getting serious! On top of that, I've just started a job, and I'll still be juggling two bands, music lessons, school music, and practising for it all on a weekly basis. But I'll manage, and I swear that I will definately update at least once a week :) Without further ado, chapter twelve!**

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><p>Sasuke reluctantly opened his eyes in the early hours of the morning. He didn't want to wake up; He was so afraid that last night could have been a dream. That would destroy him. He had finally found incredible peace and life and... Dare he say it? Happiness. That emotion was pretty much as new to him as Love.<p>

Sasuke felt a small body move against him, and looked down to see a puff of pink. He smiled. It hadn't been a dream. Sakura was still with him. He held her tighter to himself just to prove it. Prove that, for now, she was here, safe in his arms.

Sakura sighed in her sleep and pressed herself tighter against him. Sasuke smiled at this new feeling. He was content with everything. With life. It was a strange feeling. He didn't know how to react. But it felt good. Peaceful. He hoped that it would last a long time.

It was strange, he thought, how many new emotions he had started feeling since Sakura had come to stay with him. First, it was confusion. Anger. Hatred. Fear. Fear was the worst. He was afraid of what he felt for her. Afraid that it would only lead to more heartache. That's what made him... Hurt her, like he did. She was getting too close, so he tried to push her away. That only led to more emotions. Guilt. More confusion. He remembered those months of confusion. Why had he felt like that? Why was there guilt? He had hurt her. So what? Then, in the past month or so, Peace. Happiness... Love. An emotion he never thought that he would ever experience or feel again. Not since he was a young boy had he felt it, and never in this way, or so strongly.

Now he was completely content to just lie there, Sakura in his arms, not moving from that spot. He never wanted this feeling to change. He smiled and closed his eyes, falling back into his peaceful slumber.

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><p>It had been a week since Sasuke first confessed his feelings to Sakura, when she woke up, again, head buried in his chest, with him next to her, asleep in his bed. Sakura breathed in his scent, letting it consume her. She loved the smell of him. He used odourless soaps and shampoo, so he would be harder to track, so any scent he gave off was just him and him alone. She breathed again. He smelt like freshly mown grass, with the musty scent of rain and the ocean and a campfire, all mixed into one. Sakura couldn't help but think of the irony; he smelt like rain and the ocean, yet he controlled fire and lightening. How strange. She supposed that he made up for it with the smell of a campfire.<p>

Sakura sighed and made to get up. It was getting on in the day, and if Sasuke didn't show somewhere soon, then someone would go looking for him.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered to him, and giggled when he sighed, not wanting to wake up. "Sasuke, you have to wake up." She whispered to him, shaking him a bit.

Sasuke shook his head, burying it further into the crook of her neck. "Later," he mumbled drowsily and Sakura stifled another giggle.

"Sasuke," she said, shaking him softly, "you have to wake up. Someone could come looking for you." Sasuke's eyes flashed open and he quickly sat up. Sakura was surprised he didn't get whiplash. Within a minute, he was dressed and ready to go.

"I have to see Orochimaru. I'll be back later." He told her before kissing her on the forehead and exiting the room.

"Hmm…" She mumbled before falling back asleep.

Sasuke strode into the dimly lit room. He could sense Orochimaru at the other end, pacing, Kabuto beside him. And another chakra signature, one that he recognised instantly. He groaned in anger that _she_ would be here.

Karin ghosted up beside him, placing her palm on his bicep. "Kon'nichiwa, Sasuke Kun." She said, with a lame attempt to be seductive.

Sasuke glanced at her, annoyed. "Don't touch me, Karin." He told at her, before shrugging her arm away and walking towards Orochimaru.

Karin pouted before going to catch up with him. "Don't be like that, Sasuke _Kun_, you don't have to hide your feelings for me. _Everybody_ here knows," she smirked at him, indicating Orochimaru and Kabuto. Sasuke blanched, angry.

"I'm not hiding anything from you, Karin. You disgust me." He informed her. Oh he was pissed now! What the fuck was she doing here, anyway?

"Ah, Sasuke Kun. Where have you been?" Orochimaru slithered from the shadows and up to where Sasuke was standing, Karin hanging off him.

"None of your business," Sasuke shot back rudely. Nobody knew of him and Sakura, it was far too dangerous. "But what the fuck is _she_ doing here, Orochimaru?" Sasuke hissed at him, jabbing his thumb in Karin's direction.

Orochimaru smiled at him, malice glinting in his amber eyes. "She came here to inform us that it will be safe to move to Shio Island in the next few weeks, Sasuke Kun. I also thought it would be nice for you to have her… Company… Until then."

Sasuke snorted. "You thought wrong, then. I want nothing to do with her." Sasuke sneered at him and forced Karin away from his side, where she was hanging like a leech. "Now, if you have nothing here that is worth my time, I'm going back to my room." He strode right out of the hall and headed back along the winding passages to where his room was. He was fuming with anger. Why the fuck would she go off and tell everyone about _that_? Ugh! He could go back and throttle her! It wouldn't be a huge loss to him anyway. He just hoped that she wouldn't be coming after him to try anything.

Karin stood there, a small smile plastered on her face. _Typical Sasuke Kun,_ she thought, _acting so shy in front of everyone. I'll go and find him later. Bend him to my will. It shouldn't be too hard._ She smirked at the ideas that were swirling around in her head. It was making her knees weak and she could hardly wait to go and find him. But she decided to give him a bit of time to calm down. She wouldn't get anything out of him if he was angry, even though he was so _sexy_ when he was like that. She could feel herself getting wet at the way his eyes smouldered dangerously. She decided to head back to her room and freshen up before hand.

She closed her door quietly and went to the small array of clothing she had brought. She took off the jacket and shorts and picked up a tight red sleeveless tank top, which she slipped on. No bra, of course. She fitted her way into a black thong and put some black fish nets over the top. To top it off, she put on a very short red skirt. _Perfect_, she thought. _Just try and see him refuse me in this._ She put on some red stilettos and walked out of her room, following Sasuke's chakra.

Sasuke slammed the door behind him, causing Sakura to fly up from the bed. She was about to tell him off for waking her from a perfectly good slumber, when she saw the intense look of anger in his eyes.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" She still couldn't add the suffix to his name. It had only been a week, and she was still afraid that it could make him hurt her. He hadn't yet told her if he loved her, so maybe that was the reason she was holding back. She wasn't sure yet if it was safe. But she knew that she was falling for him again. She couldn't help it. She was almost afraid that she loved him. But this string of love, it was fragile. Very fragile. One false move, and it would shatter.

Sasuke took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He walked over to her, looking considerably less angry. "It's nothing, Sakura. Orochimaru has just pissed me off again." He sat on the bed and held her against him, stroking her bare back. "I think that you should probably get dressed, though." He informed her, but didn't let her go.

Sakura giggled at the display of affection. Who knew that the great Sasuke Uchiha could be so… Cuddly? It was nice… In a weird way. "Did you want to help me with that?" She asked him innocently.

"Aa." He said in agreement and pulled open a draw from the bedside table. He grabbed out a tunic, pants and undergarments. Sakura flushed bright red in embarrassment as he handled her bra and underpants

"It's almost a shame, dressing you," he said to her. She looked up at him, confused. "It's all going to come off again soon, so it's almost like a wasted effort." Sakura went crimson at that, then puce as he put on her underpants.

He finished dressing her, then noticed how red in the face she was.

"You look like a tomato," he said lightly, touching her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her, quickly deepening it, pulling her around to straddle his waist. "I really shouldn't have dressed you," he groaned against her lips, Sakura could only moan her agreement. He reached the hem of her tunic, intending to pull it off, when a knock was heard at the door. Sakura quickly scuttled off him and almost fled to the kitchen, looking for something to do while she calmed down.

Sasuke watched her flight while trying to calm down his own hormones. _Damn Fucking Pain In The Arse Bitch…_ He continued the rant in his head as he went to go and answer the door. There, in all her might and slutty glory, stood Karin, dressed in… Sasuke couldn't put a word to it… Was she even dressed?

"What do you want?" He asked her stonily. He was in no mood for her antics.

"Come now, Sasuke Kun," Karin teased, letting herself into the room while draping herself around his neck. "You don't have to be like that. We're completely alone now, I made sure of it." She tilted her head up, puckering her lips.

Sasuke pushed her off him in disgust. "I'd rather not." He said, trying to force her back out.

"Oh, but Sasuke Kun, don't you want to finish where we left off on Crescent Moon Island? I'm sure you're just as eager as I am." She simpered, pushing her barely – clad body flush against his.

"Sasuke, who's this?" Sakura's voice drifted from just outside the kitchen. Sasuke's heart fell and he looked around to see Sakura standing there, drinking in the scene before her.

Sasuke opened his mouth to answer her that it was no one, but Karin beat him to it.

"Sasuke Kun's lover." She turned back to Sasuke. "So is _this_ is why you are hesitant, Sasuke Kun? You should have told me!" She turned back to Sakura. "You. Out now!" She barked at her, while Sakura just stared, dumbstruck, with a deep pain in her eyes. Karin took Sasuke's moment of shock to lock his lips in a fierce and messy kiss.

Sasuke pushed her away, feeling nauseous. "Get off me, Karin! And get out! Now!" He thought he was going to be sick, but Karin was stubborn.

"Sasuke Kun, don't act like that, you know you want me." She walked up to him, slowly, swaying her hips. Before he could stop her, she had stuck her hand down his pants and was massaging, stroking his length.

"Get the fuck off me! You are disgusting, Karin!" He pushed her back against the wall, hating her touch.

"That's not what you thought last week when you screamed my name in pleasure." Her smirk was triumphant and Sasuke closed his eyes, hating that Sakura had to hear this. _Why? Why did I make such a STUPID mistake? _He berated himself.

Sakura leaned against the wall for support, feeling her heart shattering to pieces. Futile tears fell from her eyes. She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want to see this. She wanted to get out of here. To run away as far and fast as she possibly could. Never see Sasuke's lying face again. His honey words were all false. She had been nothing but a simple fuck to him. How could she have been so stupid as to believe that he actually cared for her? She should have known that it was too good to be true.

And she thought that Shinji's torture had been painful…

Sasuke heard a sob from the direction of the kitchen and saw Sakura slide down the wall, her face buried in her hands. "Karin, get the _fuck_ out of here, before I break your neck." He warned, his voice deadly.

"Aw, Sasuke Kun, don't be like that. You know that I would do _anything_ for you," she licked her lips and advanced upon him again.

"I did that out of nothing but pity. You were not my first and you _certainly_ weren't my last. Now get the _Fuck_ out of my room!" He could feel anger and hatred boiling inside of him. It was taking all of his self restraint to not set her on fire! Kami how he _HATED_ that woman!

Karin finally seemed to take him seriously. "Alright, Sasuke _Kun_, I'll be in my room… Waiting." She left, closing the door harshly behind her.

Sasuke closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. _FUCK!_ He made his way over to Sakura, slowly, as if approaching a wounded animal.

"Sakura," He called her name gently while crouching down to her level. She didn't respond and continued to cry. He tried to peel away her hands from her face, but she lashed back violently, hitting his hands away as if they burned her.

"Don't touch me, you two faced, lying, cheating Bastard!" She screamed at him, tears rolling down her face in rivers, before she brought her arms back around her face, hiding it from view.

"Sakura, please, listen to me." He tried to remove her hands again, but she reacted to his touch, even more violently than before.

"No! Don't _touch_ me! Leave me alone! How… How could you? How _dare_ you? Don't _fucking_ Touch me!" She shrieked, hitting and kicking him away.

"Sakura, please," Sasuke begged, trying to pull her to him. Sakura leapt away from him and ran to the other end of the room, her chest heaving from emotion. Sasuke stared after her, afraid that he was about to lose her.

"Gomen, Sasuke," Sakura said, her voice wavering from unshed tears, "Gomen that I couldn't mean something to you. Gomen that I was nothing more than a fuck to pass the time. Gomen that I wasn't good enough…" She took a deep breath and tears started to fall again. "Gomen that I started to love you again. I promise you I won't make that mistake ever again." She wiped her tears away, but in vain; new ones immediately replaced them.

Sasuke cursed himself. He hated that he wasn't crying, so she couldn't see how sorry he was. He had lost her. He had lost the only person that he would ever care for, and this time… This time, it was his fault. It was all his fault. He whispered to where she stood, faster than the speed that her eyes could keep up with. He wrapped her in his arms again, burying his head in the space between her shoulder and neck.

"Please forgive me Sakura. G… Gomen… I… I don't know what to say…" He held her closer. He couldn't let her go.

As Sakura's mind caught up with the moment, she started to struggle in his arms. She _hated_ him. Hated how he could make her want him just by holding her. Hated that she wanted to forgive him. But her heart had been broken by him. Again. She thought that she would've learned. But no. Well, she wouldn't make that mistake again. She was sick of being hurt by him. Sick of always forgiving him. Never again.

"Get away from me, Sasuke!" She ground out, trying to push him off her. "I don't want you anymore! I hate you!" She yelled at him. She felt him stiffen at that, his hands falling away. She escaped from him and ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Sasuke stood there in shock. His hands started to shake and his chest ached. He felt like he was falling to pieces. His world was falling to pieces! He could hear Sakura sobbing on the other side of the bathroom door and he wished that he could hold her, wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks, tell her that she was _not_ just a fuck to him. That she was so much more than that. That she meant everything to him. And yet, he couldn't. His pride wouldn't let him. It was a miracle that he had said Sorry! She wouldn't believe him no matter what he said anyway.

_I need to get out of here_ Sasuke thought. He needed to get away for a while. He walked out of his room and made his way above ground, where he raced through the surrounding wood. He kept tree hopping as fast as he could, for an hour, before he reached a clearing. There, he started to scream. He screamed out all of the anger and frustration and sadness that he was feeling.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" He cried, and let out a massive amount of fireballs, letting them assault the surrounding forest. He found peace when he watched the forest burn. He only wished that he could join it. But it wasn't burning quickly enough. "CHIDORI!" He yelled, and hit a dozen trees with the one blast, sending them into pieces of sawdust in his wake.

Sasuke glared up at the heavens. "Why do you hate me!" He screamed at it. "Why do you continue to destroy every single piece of hope I have for happiness? WHY?" He waited there for a moment, as if expecting an answer. "ANSWER ME!" He demanded, but was met with nothing but a bruised looking sky and angry rolls of thunder.

"Katon: Gōryūka no Jutsu!" He roared, and let loose a massive dragon shaped fireball into the sky. The sky, in turn, roared it's fury and lightning strikes ripped it in two. Within the space of a few minutes, the landscape was drenched. Smoke swirled around him as the fires were put out. Sasuke's hair and clothes were plastered to his body as water ran through them.

"Sasuke Kun!" A voice called from the smoke.

_Oh fuck no._

"Sasuke Kun, what are you doing out here?" Karin pranced up to him, her already flimsy clothing sticking to her body.

"Getting away from you." He growled at her, before making to fly back to the hideout.

"Sasuke Kun, don't leave. We're _finally _alone without that bitch of a -"

She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before Sasuke's hands were on her throat, choking her. "Finish your sentence. I dare you to finish that." He hissed at her threateningly.

Karin's eyes bulged and weird choking noises emitted from her throat. Sasuke removed his hand, and made to go back.

"Sasuke Kun," Karin called after him, and Sasuke slowly came to a halt.

"What?" He ordered her.

Karin hesitated before speaking. "It's that maid servant girl, isn't it, Sasuke Kun? You know, if you feel obliged to her in any way, then I'd be more than happy to… Remove her… From the picture."

"Karin," Sasuke said, walking up to her. Said girl smiled, thinking she had finally won. Sasuke put his face up close to her, so close that she could feel his breath fanning across her face. She started to go weak at the knees and could feel herself getting wet. _Oh Kami if he would just fuck me senseless right now!_ She thought.

He walked up to her, keeping his face close to hers, hoping to lull her into a false sense of security. "If you _ever_ hurt Sakura, I will make you rue the day you were born." He turned on his heel and fled the area.

Karin stood there in shock. _Sakura,_ she thought. _So, the bitch has a name, huh? I think that I'll have to take that name off the records._ She smiled to herself. _But I can't let Sasuke realise that it was me… I think I'll have to talk to a certain someone…_ She darted back to the hideout, a plan forming in her mind.

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><p><strong>Alright, I admit, I'm evil. But what's the point in a story if you can't stir things up? It keeps it interesting :D<strong>

**Oh, I remember what I was going to say last chapter: The yarrow extract and snap dragon things are true: The anti inflammatory and the antisceptic parts of them. I looked it up. However, I have no idea how to make it, so don't ask me that :)**

**I've recently come up with an idea for a new story :) I've got the main idea in my head and started writing out the blueprint, so I'll hopefully start writing that soon XD**

**Preview time!**

_**Chapter 13 - Azalea**_

_**... "I don't want to hear your excuses! Get away from me!" She ordered him.**_

_**"Sakura, please..."**_

_**"NO!" She screamed with finality.**_

_**Sasuke felt an incredible anger rise up within him. Hadn't he told her he was sorry? Hadn't he rejected Karin again and again right infront of her? Surely he had proved, at least by his actions alone, that his heart belonged to her? He smashed his fist on the door...**_

**Until next time :)**

**x**


	13. Azalea

**Woo, next chapter :) My teacher has gotten me to start learning the Minute Waltz by Chopin on flute :) It's really fun to play :D Uh, yeah, I can't think of anything to say, so read and hopefully don't hate me :S**

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><p>Sakura had fallen asleep on the couch by the time Sasuke walked through the door. Sasuke walked in a beeline straight towards her. Dried tears were still on her cheeks and her bottom lip still quivered, even in her sleep. Sasuke couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of guilt and self loathing that washed over him. Even if he had wanted to, he wouldn't. Barely a week ago he had told her that he always wanted to see her smile, and that he wanted to be the reason for her smile. It had only taken him one single week to be the reason for her tears and heartbreak.<p>

He raised a careful hand and stroked her cheek, kissing away the dry rivulets. He climbed up onto the couch and somehow managed to squeeze himself behind her, holding her petite form to him. There's no way she would ever allow him to do this while she was awake, so he took the only chance he could to pretend that, for the moment at least, she loved him again.

He fell asleep with his face buried in her hair.

When Sakura woke in the morning, it was with confusion. She was far warmer than she normally was on the couch. Also, there was much less room than usual. And there seemed to be something heavy draped around her waist. She turned around and came face to face with a sleeping Sasuke.

"ARGH!" She screamed, pushing herself away from him. His eyes flew open and they both tumbled off the couch in shock, Sasuke landing ungracefully on top of Sakura. She stared up at his face and saw that his eyes looked sad.

"Sakura, I…" He began.

"Get off me you prick!" She shoved him off her and ran towards the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

"Please, Sakura, just hear me out!" He called, running to the door. He could easily break it down, but didn't want to; it could make her hate him even more than she already did, if that was even possible.

"No! Go away! I'm sick of giving you chances and regretting them!" She screamed back at him. She didn't want to hear him or see him ever again. What the hell was that stunt he had pulled on her just now?

"Sakura, please. Just give me a chance to explain." He begged her.

"I don't want to hear your excuses! Get away from me!" She ordered him.

"Sakura, please…"

"NO!" She screamed with finality.

Sasuke felt an incredible anger rise up within him. Hadn't he told her he was sorry? Hadn't he rejected Karin again and again right infront of her? Surely he had proved, at the least by his actions alone, that his heart belonged to her? He smashed his fist on the door.

"Damnit, Sakura! How can I prove to you that I regret what I did with Karin? What the _fuck_ do you want me to do to prove that you are the only one I want! What do you want me to say that will convince you that I'm sorry? How about this? I'm sorry! There, I said it; I'm sorry! Are you happy? You are probably the only person I've ever apologised to, and I will keep saying it until you forgive me! I'm sorry! Gomen! What do you want from me? I'll kill her if you want me to! I'll kill myself if that will convince you! Either way, I'm dying on the inside because you hate me! I might as well speed up the process!" He slammed his fist on the door again in frustration and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Just please… Open the door Sakura."

He could hear her deep breaths on the other side of the door. "Sakura, please open the door," he said softly, losing hope with every word.

He stood there for about ten minutes before, with a sigh, he turned and slowly started to walk away. The door opened.

"How can I trust you?" She whispered, fear in her voice. Sasuke turned and saw her peeking from a crack between the door and the frame.

"I don't know." He replied, just as softly. "Please, just give me a chance. I screwed up. Kami, I know I did more than just 'screw up.' I fucked everything up completely, and I regret it more than you could possibly imagine. Please, just give me a chance. I'll do anything." He stayed where he was. He didn't know if approaching her would send her back into the bathroom.

"Would you have ever told me about it?" She asked him.

Sasuke didn't know how to answer. Would have told her? Maybe. "I don't know. If it came up and I knew that you wouldn't hate me for it, then I guess so."

Sakura seemed to process that for a moment. "Why did you do it? Why did you have sex with her, then come back and seduce me?"

Sasuke hesitated again. Why had he slept with Karin? "I don't know exactly why I did it. It was sort of just spur of the moment. I think I was afraid of how I was feeling for you. Trying to prove to myself that you really did mean nothing to me. By sleeping with Karin I was saying 'I don't care for Sakura, because I can sleep with another'. But the whole time I was just wishing it was you there and not her. I kept seeing you there, instead of her. That's why I made love to you when I came back. I had an epiphany. I'm just sorry that it took having to have sex with Karin to realise it." He explained.

Sakura thought for a while longer. "How do I know that you do care for me and I'm not just someone to keep around for a fuck, or to carry your next heir?" It seemed that all of her previous questions had accumulated to this one. This was the one most important question.

Sasuke slowly walked towards her. When he stood before her he opened the bathroom door, so as to see her completely.

"Sakura, listen to me. If you never believe anything I say ever again, then please, I'm begging you to believe me now. I care for you more than anyone or anything. You are not 'just a fuck' to me. You are _everything_ to me. I'm terrified of losing you. You are the only one I want. The only one I care about. I want to spend every day for the rest of my life with you. I… I think I'm falling for you, Sakura." He raised a tentative hand and brushed some of the bangs away from her eyes. "Please forgive me. I regret what I did more than anything I've ever done. More than I regret killing Itachi, even. Please give me a chance. Let me make it up to you."

Sakura closed her eyes and flinched slightly at his touch. "I can't forgive you Sasuke. I don't know if I ever will be able to. But I can give you a chance. Please don't hurt me again." She looked up at him and he nodded. He _wouldn't_ let her regret it. He leant his head down to give her a small kiss, but she moved her head aside at the last moment. His lips brushed her cheek instead.

"I can't forgive you yet. It still hurts, Sasuke. You have to prove to me that I can trust you. Right now, I can't." She mumbled sadly.

Sasuke held his face against her cheek, eyes closed. "Can I hold you?" He asked. She nodded. So he wrapped her protectively in the embrace of his arms.

They stayed like that for a long time.

**xXx**

Karin walked to the metal door at the end of the hall. She had changed from her skimpy clothing and was now dressed in her usual attire. She opened the door casually, walking straight in.

"Kabuto!" She barked to the air.

No answer.

"Kabuto, I know you're in here. I need to talk to you." She put one hand on her hip and waited impatiently for him to appear.

There was a disturbance in the shadows. "What do you want?" Kabuto demanded of the female, annoyed by her presence.

"I require your… Assistance… dealing with a certain pest." She hedged, not wanting to release too many details.

"Why should I help you?" He shot at her.

"Because, Ka – Bu – To, I can make it very worth your while," she said seductively whilst slinking up to him, running a bright red manicured nail down his chest. Kabuto visibly gulped. He couldn't deny that, although he wasn't attracted to her, she knew how to turn him on.

"What do you have in mind?" He asked her, feeling the blood rushing to his loins.

"Sasuke's serving girl. I want her gone." She muttered to him, running her hands down his pants and stroking him. Kabuto could hardly think anymore. He was like putty in her hands. Karin smiled. She knew he couldn't resist. She could _feel_ that he couldn't resist.

"What did you have in mind?" He gulped.

"Death…" She breathed next to his ear. "Something slow and painful…" She started stroking him faster, pumping him.

Kabuto's mind was foggy with lust. "H… Hai… I have… Exactly the… Right thing…" He started to pant, moaning.

"Good." Karin removed her hands before he could come. "When she is dead, we'll finish. For now, show me." She smiled at him seductively, looking at his flushed and annoyed face. He just nodded and led her to a cupboard.

He rummaged around for a bit before extracting a small vial. "This is a concentrated concoction of Azalea plant extract. Normally, the Azalea plant will only kill you if you have a large amount of it, but this has been prepared especially so that only a few drops will kill you."

"Is it a slow, painful death?" Karin asked, raising finely plucked brow.

"Hai. With this, it will take a few days to kill. It first causes lethargy and depression, followed by vomiting and nausea, severe pains, progressive paralysis, coma and, eventually, death. And I do not have the cure available. Even if she were to figure out she had been poisoned, and by what, she wouldn't be able to get a cure in time to save herself." Kabuto said, knowing that it had impressed her.

Karin smiled, pleased. "How much do I give her?" She asked.

"Depends on how quickly you want her to die." Kabuto said. "I'd suggest at the minimum three drops. Any less than that and her body may flush out the poison before it can kill her. Preferably four or five drops. That will kill her in two to three days. The more you put in, the quicker it will kill her." He informed her and Karin nodded, swiping the bottle from his hands. She walked from the room without any form of gratitude escaping her.

Now she just had to figure a way to get it to the bitch. Not through the water, that could kill Sasuke. She had to find a food that Sakura would eat often and there's no way in hell Sasuke would touch. Time for a bit of research.

**xXx**

**Hmm... Quite ready to kill my computer. It won't let me do that bar thingy or put things in the centre or... nyah (that's my annoyed sound :P)**

**The Azalea plant thing is true. Only consuming large amounts will kill a person and it does produce those sort of effects. However, I have no idea what order they are in. The moral of the story? Don't eat the Azalea plant! I don't care if it has a pretty name, or if it's colourful! Consuming it kills! And being dead is really troublesome, you know?**

**But yeah, a bit annoyed at my mum too. I didn't think I'd be able to upload this, because my mum, being the genius she is, somehow managed to change _all_ of the internet settings, effectively ruining our connection and making the computer go ape shit! I spent forty five minutes on here last night trying to make it work! Mum went on this morning and finally made it work again, but I just want to know what she actually did!**

***End rant*. Hey, I did find things to talk about! Preview :)**

_**Chapter 14 - Sweetest Poison**_

_**...Even if she hadn't wanted to be close to him, she didn't think she had a choice anymore.**_

_**She was late. By over a week and a half...**_

_**...She looked in the fridge and almost whooped with delight. Off to the side, there was a small chocolate muffin. Karin brought it closer towards her and let four drops of Azalea Extract seep into the muffin...**_


	14. Sweetest Poison

**I updated a little earlier than I was going to, but I don't think anyone's complaining. Truth be told, I'm updating because I'm sick at home, or rather, I got a really bad nose bleed last night, lost a ton of blood, and could barely stand this morning :) I'm going to try and keep my authors notes shorter from now on, so I'll stop here :P**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only Sasuke and Gaara - Who said that? *looks around suspiciously***

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><p>Sakura's eyes slowly fluttered open to see Sasuke sleeping peacefully beside her. It had been almost a week since their 'argument', if that's what it could be called. She had intended to sleep on the couch, but gave up when she realised that even if she did, Sasuke would sleep on the couch with her. It was just more logical to sleep in the bed.<p>

Sakura sighed, content. Sasuke had been… Sweet, in the past week. He acted as if she were a frightened animal, and one false move would send her running. He would often hold her and not let go for a long time. It made her feel safe and warm. She had allowed him to kiss her yesterday, briefly. She knew that he was sorry for all that he had done and just wanted to make things right again.

Even if she hadn't wanted to be close to him, she didn't think she had a choice anymore.

She was late. By over a week and a half. That had never happened before. Her cycle was regular, no matter what had been happening. She was going to go out and do a test after Sasuke had gone out. She had been having bad cramps for the past week and her breasts had been sore for a few days. Just some of the common pregnancy symptoms. But Sakura just had to be sure. Kabuto was bound to have at least one pregnancy test somewhere!

At midday, Sakura left the room and went towards Kabuto's lab.

Karin looked from around the corner at Sakura's retreating form before carefully slipping inside the small apartment. She went straight for the kitchen and looked around for something sweet. She knew that Sasuke wouldn't be caught dead eating something that contained even the most mild amount of sugar. His whole diet revolved around tomatoes!

She opened a few cupboards, but found nothing but breads, pasta and, lo and behold, tomatoes.

"Ugh! Where is her food?" Karin said out loud

She looked in the fridge and almost whooped with delight. Off to the side, there was a small chocolate muffin. Karin brought it closer towards her and let four drops of Azalea Extract seep into the muffin. Smiling, she left the room.

Sakura crept back into Sasuke's room, barely ten minutes after Karin had left. She had actually managed to find a pregnancy test. Even better, Kabuto was otherwise occupied; no awkward encounters from him! She smiled as she retrieved the test, making her way to the bathroom.

Ten minutes later and Sakura hadn't moved. She was shaking and tears were forming in her eyes. She couldn't take her eyes away from the little red + sign on the test.

She was pregnant.

She couldn't believe it! She was having a baby… Sasuke's baby… And with the way things were going, it would be born _here_, in this place. Sakura shivered. Orochimaru would probably seize the child and take it away. This was no place to raise a baby!

She stayed on the toilet, crying softly, until Sasuke got back. Upon hearing the door open, she quickly disposed of the pregnancy test, and stayed in the bathroom, fixing herself up, so that he wouldn't know that she had been crying.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Sasuke came up to the door, knocking.

"Yeah, I… I'm just on the toilet." She answered, working to make her voice sound normal. She heard his retreating footsteps as she decided that she looked presentable. She flushed the toilet (to make him think that she had been on it), washed her hands, and walked out, her face the image of calm.

"What do you want for dinner?" She asked. He shrugged his response, so she went to the kitchen and started to prepare a dinner of pasta and tomato paste. Simple and easy.

Sasuke came in about halfway through, holding her around her waist as she stirred the paste. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, until Sakura said that if he didn't move, she would burn the sauce.

They ate dinner in silence. Sasuke washed the dishes and Sakura went hunting for some more food. Man she was still hungry!

She considered telling him about the baby, but didn't know how to bring the topic up. It was too early in the pregnancy. She could easily lose the baby. If she did, she knew that he would be heartbroken. And besides, she wanted to keep this information to herself for a little while. It was selfish, but she just wanted to be able to keep this to herself, even just a few weeks longer. Sakura smiled and placed a hand on her stomach.

"What are you looking for?" Sasuke asked her, his voice void of emotion.

"Something sweet. I'm craving something chocolaty." She replied, standing on tip toes to see in the higher cupboards.

"Oh." He answered in disgust. Sweet food had never appealed to him.

"You're so helpful." She said sarcastically. She looked in the fridge, and there, standing in a little halo of its own, was a chocolate muffin. She grabbed it hungrily and bit into it, relishing in the taste.

Sasuke turned his nose up. "How can you stand that taste?" He asked her, disgust evident in his voice.

"'Ow can' oo?" She replied happily, her mouth full of the muffin. She noted casually that something tasted a bit sour in it, but quickly passed it off. Probably nothing important. She licked her fingers happily before going to the bathroom to have a shower.

She was standing in the cubical, feeling the hot water rush over her body, when a huge wave of tiredness crashed over her. She almost stumbled, and sat down for a moment, gripping her head between her hands, fighting to keep her eyes open. She went to stand, but stumbled again. What was going on? Maybe it was just a pregnancy symptom? No! It couldn't be! Lethargy usually didn't start for a month at least! She was only just two weeks pregnant! She tried standing again, to get out of the shower, but couldn't move. "What is happening?" She wondered out loud.

Sakura started to feel afraid. She had no idea what was happening. Maybe she was having a miscarriage? No, she couldn't be. There were no painful cramps in her pelvis or lower back, and most importantly, there was no blood.

What was it then? Her mind was in overdrive, despite her being cripplingly tired.

"Sakura, are you alright? You've been in there almost ten minutes." Sasuke's worried voice sounded from the other side of the door.

Sakura felt a huge wave of relief pass over her. "Sasuke… Help… Something's wrong…" She choked out. Tears started forming in her eyes against her will. She felt sad. Extremely sad. Like the breath had been knocked from her body. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and cry.

Sasuke opened the door immediately. "Sakura? What's wrong?" He asked, stopping outside the shower, giving her privacy.

Sakura started to sob. "I… I don't know… Help me… Please… I… I can't stand…" She bawled.

Sasuke pulled aside the curtain and saw Sakura huddled on the ground, her arms wrapped around herself. He turned off the shower, then went to pick her up.

"Don't look at me!" She screeched, shuffling away. She felt so insecure, so ugly. Why would he look at her?

"Sakura, it's okay. I'm going to help you." He reassured her, reaching out. What was wrong with her?

"No! I… I don't want you looking at me… I… I just…" A new wave of tears rolled from her eyes and she bent her head into her arms, crying again.

Sasuke was at a loss for words. What was going on? What was happening? Even during her time of the month she was never this bad! "Sakura, look at me! It's me, Sasuke. Let me help you. Tell me what's wrong." What was going on?

"Sasuke, what's wrong with me? I feel so… So tired and depressed… I just want to fall asleep, but I want to cry. I don't even know why, I just…" The girl continued to cry, completely baffled as to why.

Sasuke reached up and grabbed a towel, carefully wrapping it around Sakura, before lifting her bridal style. "Let's get you dry first," he said, sitting carefully on his bed.

"Hmm…" Sakura mumbled, snuggling into his chest. He slowly rubbed his hands up and down her arms with the towel, drying her. Sakura felt that she could fall asleep right there, and she almost did, closing her eyes and leaning against his body. She could feel tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Sasuke, why do you care for me?" She asked him. She suddenly had major doubts in her mind. Why would he love her? Why should he love her? There wasn't anything special about her. Her features were bland at best, she couldn't access her chakra and she was always the one being rescued. She was always annoying him and causing him problems. She was only an average kunoichi at best. What could he possibly see in her?

Sasuke turned her face up to look at him, obsidian staring intently into emerald. "How could you ask such a stupid question, Sakura?" He was amazed that she would ask something as dumb as that. Wasn't she meant to be smart?

"I just don't see why you would. It's not like there's anything special about me." She said lamely, tears still falling.

Sasuke was really confused. Where had that come from? "Sakura, what's wrong with you? How could you say something like that? You are so smart and talented and kind and strong and _beautiful_… What wouldn't I like about you?"

Sakura started to cry again. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, now I've made you annoyed again." She yawned as tears ran down her face.

Sasuke sighed. "You haven't annoyed me, Sakura. I'm worried. Where has this sprung from all of a sudden? You were getting better, _we _were getting better, and now… Well… It's all I can do to keep you from crying. Is it something I've done? Have I hurt you again? Please tell me what I've done wrong, so that I can work to make it right." Sakura shook her head, unsure where this depression had sprung from herself.

"You've done nothing, Sasuke. It's me. It's all me. Gomen. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me for being so weak." She hugged herself, digging her nails into her forearms. She could feel the skin start to break. The pain felt good. Reassuring. Like it was keeping her away from the darkness. Keeping evil away. Keeping her hurt away. Fighting pain with pain. Sasuke quickly saw what she was doing and pulled her hands away.

"Don't do that, Sakura. Don't hurt yourself. Don't fall that way, you're too strong for that. You're too beautiful to have scars marr you on the outside as well. You're not weak. You are anything but. Here. Go to sleep. I won't leave." He pulled her tighter against him and lay down, holding her in his strong grip. She started to fall asleep against his chest.

Barely a few hours later she woke, feeling sick to the stomach. Sasuke had her wrapped in his arms, vice like against his sleeping form. She started to struggle. The lethargy and depression had passed, and now she felt as if she were about to puke. Sasuke groaned in his sleep as Sakura started to rouse him. His hand still wouldn't let her go. She would tell him to move, but felt if she opened her mouth, she would vomit all over him. She started struggling more and more against him, but he just held her tighter.

"Sakura, you're alright, just go back to sleep," he mumbled, groaning with annoyance.

Sakura shook her head and continued to struggle, making a noise of protestation. Sasuke replied by letting her go, and she made a mad dash to the bathroom, emptying her stomach of its contents into the toilet.

_What is going on?_ She thought. _It's far too early in the pregnancy for morning sickness. Something is really not right here. First lethargy, then depression, now vomiting and nausea? What the hell is happening to me?_ She racked her brains to figure it out, but came up dry. Vomit pooled in her throat again, and she released it into the toilet, feeling sweat plastering itself to her body.

"Sakura? Are you alright?" Sasuke's sleepy voice came from the bed and Sakura made a noise saying 'no'. "What's wrong? Are you sick?" She heard him get up and come to the bathroom door, leaning against the door frame, looking at her sallow complexion.

"I feel really -" She puked again, before raising her head shakily. "- Sick." She finished weakly.

Sasuke crouched down and felt her forehead. "You're burning up, Sakura!" he told her, before checking her pulse. It was racing a hundred miles a minute. "What is wrong? What is happening to you?" He demanded, as if she had answers. If only she did. She had no idea what was going on. None of these were pregnancy or miscarriage signs.

"Maybe I just have a flu?" She suggested, not really convinced. The flu wouldn't explain her depression. She lay her head on the tiles and felt slightly better. "I think I'll sleep here for a bit." She said, closing her eyes.

Sasuke nodded. "Is there anything you need?" He asked her. She mumbled out "water," so he got her a glass of water before sitting down and leaning against the bathroom door. He didn't sleep, just watched her occasionally release the contents of her stomach, pushing the hair back from her sweaty face and coaxing her to drink some more water.

Sakura had finally managed to fall into a light doze for a few hours, before she was awoken again, this time by sever cramping in her stomach. She gasped with pain and doubled up on the floor. "Sa… Sas… uke…" She gasped, hearing said male come immediately to her side.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked her, worry dripping from his voice.

Sakura whimpered, holding her stomach tighter. Could she be having a miscarriage? "H… Hurts…" She groaned, barely managing to repress a scream. She held her stomach tighter. It felt like she had someone slicing her insides with a blunt chainsaw!

"Do you have any pain medication?" He asked urgently. She shook her head. No.

"Ran… Out…" She managed between gritted teeth.

_Damn_, he thought. "Sakura, I'm going to go to Kabuto. Get something to ease the pain, okay?" She nodded mutely at him. He stroked her cheek, before running from the room.

Sasuke entered the lab, looking around for Kabuto. His eyes bled red and he immediately saw Kabuto in a dank corner, leaning over a few test tubes. Sasuke walked quickly up to him.

"Ah, Sasuke San, I wasn't expecting you," Kabuto said, his voice holding unconvincing shock. Sasuke couldn't have care less.

"Pain meds. Now." Sasuke ordered, in no mood for Kabuto's antics.

"Why would I do that?" Kabuto smirked, enjoying provoking Sasuke.

Sasuke growled at him, getting angry. "Sakura is in pain. Give them to me."

Kabuto couldn't help the smug smile that stretch across his face at that. She had maybe fifty hours left. Max.

Sasuke noticed the smirk, and knew that Kabuto knew something. He pinned him against the wall, his eyes bleeding red again, a kunai against Kabuto's throat. "Find something funny, do you?" He growled. "Care to tell?"

Kabuto's smirk wouldn't erase itself, but he stayed silent. Sasuke wrapped him in the power of the Mangekyou Sharigan, anger seeping through his body. "Tsukuyomi!"

_Kabuto looked up and saw that he was tied to a pole._

'_Where am I?' He thought, before realisation hit him with powerful force. 'Sasuke…' He seethed._

_Sasuke walked up to Kabuto, anger etched into his face. 'What have you done to Sakura?' He demanded. Kabuto turned his face aside. As if he'd tell him._

_Sasuke ran up and stabbed Kabuto. 'What did you do to her!" He ordered, his voice raising. Kabuto couldn't believe the incredible pain that was coursing through his body. Sasuke stabbed him again, each time Kabuto coughed up blood._

'_I can keep you here as long as necessary, Kabuto. But once you tell me what you've done, I will release you.' Sasuke bargained. Kabuto tried to ignore him. This fueled Sasuke's rage like nothing else could have._

_He made sure Kabuto suffered._

_After hours, Kabuto finally spoke. 'No amount of pain medication will help her. She had been poisoned with extract from the Azalea plant. She has about fifty hours left. Any medication you give her will just kill her faster. I don't have a cure.' His head flopped down, exhausted. Sasuke nodded and broke the Jutsu._

Barely a second had passed in the real world, as the two came back. Sasuke made to walk away, encasing his heart in ice again, before turning. He stabbed Kabuto in the side. "I'd kill you properly, but for now, I want you to suffer a bit. I'll finish this later." He hissed, before running back to his room, fighting the wave of depression that was threatening to overtake him.

He had to have been lying. He couldn't… He wouldn't… Not Sakura… No… Sasuke stopped and fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Fifty hours? That was all? "Sakura…" He managed to whisper, pain falling from his tongue. How could he be hurting so much? He thought he had buried all emotions years ago. But somehow, his heart was saying differently. His heart was shattering, falling into dust. She said that Love could only make you stronger, but she had lied. He wasn't strong now, he was weak. So weak. Love caused nothing but pain, and he had been a fool to try and believe otherwise. He got up shakily and walked back to his room.

Sakura was still on the floor of the bathroom and Sasuke walked up to her, collapsing to his hands and knees before he reached her. She looked up at him, attempting a smile. "The pain has started to subside," she informed him, wincing. She saw his black look. "What's wrong?" She asked.

Sasuke shook his head and just gathered her in his arms, stroking the hair from her eyes. She gasped in pain, but otherwise didn't protest. "Sasuke, what's wrong?" She reached her hand up, moving the bangs from his eyes and was shocked to see tears. "Sasuke?" She asked, confused and worried. Why was he crying? Sasuke, as a rule and general fact, didn't cry. It was _Sasuke_, for Kami sake!

He just kissed her, wishing that some poison were still on her lips, so that he could die too. He somehow managed to find his voice. "Sakura…" He sounded hoarse. How could he tell her that she was going to die? "You… You've been poisoned…" Sakura's eyes widened.

"Food or water poisoning? You know that'll pass, Sasuke." She managed to smile for him, but he just shook his head.

"No… Some sort of plant… Azalea, I think Kabuto said…" He saw Sakura go rigid at his words. She knew what this meant. '_I know the medicinal properties of every plant. I spent months studying all of them…'_ She had said. She knew that if it wasn't a harmful dosage of the plant, her body would have flushed it out by now.

"He said you have about fifty hours." Sakura just nodded, seeming to accept her fate. They lapsed into silence.

"You know what the worst part is?" Sakura said suddenly. Sasuke shook his head. "If I could access my chakra, I would be able to heal myself. It's a difficult process, but I did it with Kankuro once. He was poisoned by Sasori. Tsunade had only just taught me the concept of it, and then I had to use it." She sighed and held him tighter.

Her words sparked an idea in Sasuke's mind. Without saying a word, Sasuke picked Sakura up, bridal style, and fled from his room, not telling anyone anything. He wouldn't give up on Sakura when there was still someone left who could heal her.

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><p><strong>Please don't kill me! *Hides behind Karin* Kill her!<strong>

**Uh, I have no idea how the affects of the Azalea plant work, how long they last, etc. Just go with the flow... *envisions a beach in Hawaii* Hey, random thing I realised. If you are in Microsoft Word and you go to auto correct 'Sasuke', the first option is 'Sapsucker' XD HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Preview :)**

**_Chapter 15 - Oblivion_**

**_..."It's alright, Sakura. We're just passing Amegakure." He assured her._**

**_"No, it's not that, Sasuke. I just... I can't move my fingers or toes!" She sounded panicked._**

**_Sakura chided herself. She knew that progressive paralysis was all a part of the poison._ _But still, it's one thing to study it, another to experience it. She grew cold as she realised what the next step was. Coma._**

**_"Sasuke, how long have I been out?"..._**

**x  
><strong>


	15. Oblivion

**Ugh! School is killing me! But enough of that, here's the next chapter, and I hope you like it, even though it is a tad short (sorry) :S**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only this story X)**

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><p>Sasuke raced through the trees, holding Sakura's body close to his chest. All that was going through his mind was how to get to Konoha faster. It would usually take around three days to get to Konoha from the Bird Country. Sasuke had to get there in two, else Sakura would… No, he couldn't think like that.<p>

He would need to run nonstop. No sleeping, no eating, just racing against time. Sasuke looked down at Sakura's face and felt his heart skip a beat. She was staring up at him through half lidded eyes. He could see that she was still in pain, but was trying hard to not show it. She didn't want him to worry. Typical. As if he could worry any more than he was. The last shreds of his world were being cruelly torn away again. But this time, there was something he could do to stop it.

He started to mentally count down the hours.

48 hours left…

46 hours left…

44 hours left…

42 hours left…

40 hours left…

He was just passing the border of the bird country, when Sakura screamed. Sasuke stopped for the first time, laying her gently on the ground.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked her. She was weeping, clutching her stomach.

"H… Hurts…" She gasped out. She couldn't believe the pain that was ripping through her. And she was quite certain of what it was. Sasuke, held her, cooing softly, trying to get her to calm down, but she couldn't.

Suddenly, she felt something warm and sticky between her thighs. _No…_ She thought. She had lost the baby. She knew that it was inevitable because of the poison, but she still couldn't believe it. She lost consciousness.

Sasuke held her, scared, worried and confused. What had just happened? Was it another effect of the pain? He felt something warm near his hand and brought it up to see blood. Another effect of the poison? Was it her time of the month? Either way, he felt a bad omen creep over him. He took to the trees once more.

**xXx**

Karin walked up to Kabuto, who was still shaking slightly.

"Sasuke wasn't in his room. Neither was the bitch. Orochimaru doesn't know where either of them are. Do you?" She tapped her foot impatiently. Kabuto shook his head.

"Sasuke knows that she is dying. Maybe he is taking her out for a final goodbye. Either way, she'll be dead in over a day. My end of the bargain is complete. Now it's your turn to pay up." There was no way that he was going to be tortured and stabbed without something good coming of this day. And besides, he felt horny when she was flustered.

Karin wiggled her finger at him. "I don't think so, Kabuto. I don't feel like you." She turned to leave, and that made Kabuto even angrier.

"Sasuke tortured and stabbed me! You owe me!" He screamed at her. She continued walking.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" She retaliated, smug.

He was so pissed at that. "If you don't, I'll convince Orochimaru Sama to never let you see Sasuke ever again." Karin froze at that, fury glinting in her red eyes.

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed.

Now it was Kabuto's turn to smile. "Just you watch me." He folded his arms over his chest in triumph. Karin faced him, hesitating for a moment.

"Fine. Let's get this over and done with." She strode up to him, removing her shirt as she went.

* * *

><p><em>My eyes fluttered open to sunlight streaming through the window. I stretched my limbs and heard a few popping noises. Not good, I thought, before lazily stumbling from my bed. I looked at the clock. Seven a.m. You've got to be joking. I groaned, and almost flopped back down on my bed.<em>

'_Sakura!' Naruto was banging on my front door, and that made me pull on a plain blue yukata and go to the front door to answer it. His fist was relentless, and I could swear I heard some wood splintering._

'_Naruto, stop it! You're going to break my damn door down soon!' I told him crossly as I opened the door. He just shrugged, grinning sheepishly._

'_Baa – Chan wants you. I dunno why.' He told me, before letting himself in. 'Say, Sakura Chan, would you like to go and get some Ramen? Like, as friends, I mean, not as a date, unless you want it to be, in which case, I'd love to go on a date with you, but if you don't want to, then that's cool as well, I mean…' He stared at me with wide sapphire eyes, to which I rolled my jade ones._

'_Naruto, you can't have Ramen for breakfast! Baka!' I told him, a smile playing about my lips. But just for fun, I cuffed him around the ear. He grimaced at me, and looked confused._

'_Why not? I always have it for breakfast.' He started to scratch his head, closing one eye. With a shock, I realised he was _thinking._ I stifled a laugh. Naruto. Thinking. Who would have guessed?_

'_Yeah. Breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, entre, dinner, supper, dessert, midnight snack, snack in general… It's not healthy, Naruto. You have to have some fruit and vegetables.' I said matter of factly._

_Naruto stuck his nose in the air defiantly. 'Vegetables, shmegetables. Ramen has vegetables in it. And meat. And… And… And Ramen! So there, it's plenty good for you!' He reminded me of a spoiled child and I just giggled. He was such a character._

_I laughed, trying hard to not say "I use grammar good", in retaliation._ '_Well, you said that Lady Tsunade is waiting for me? Even if I wanted to partake in eating Ramen with you for breakfast, I couldn't. Why don't you go ask Hinata instead? I'm sure she'd love to go for breakfast with you.' I suggested. He still didn't realise that Hinata loved him. I mean, seriously, the girl had told him that she loves him! What more proof could he possibly need?_

'_Hinata Chan? Why would she want to get Ramen with me?' Naruto looked confused again._

_I walked towards the bathroom, shaking my head. 'Figure it out yourself, Naruto. I'm sure you'll get it eventually.' His whines accompanied me to the bathroom._

'_But Sakura Chan! I don't even know what Partake means!'_

* * *

><p>Thirty hours left. Thirty hours left. That's what kept running through Sasuke's mind before he passed into the fire country. Sakura still hadn't woken up from when she collapsed. Blood had dried in a hard cake on her trousers. He sensed her eyes flutter open, and her struggling.<p>

"It's alright, Sakura. We've just passed Amegakure." He assured her.

"No, it's not that, Sasuke. I just… I can't move my fingers or toes!" She sounded panicked.

Sakura chided herself. She knew that progressive paralysis was all a part of the poison. But still, it's one thing to study it, another to experience it. She grew cold as she realised what the next step was. Coma.

"Sasuke? How long have I been out?" She asked nervously.

"About ten hours." He answered back shortly.

Sakura quickly did the math in her head. She assumed that the paralysis had only started maybe half an hour ago. That meant that it would continue for another ten hours, give or take. After that, she would be in a coma. That could last anywhere between three hours and twenty. She turned cold. She had a minimum of thirteen hours left, a maximum of thirty.

"Sasuke," she whispered. He heard her and looked down.

"In about ten hours, I will go into a coma. After that, I could die anywhere between three and twenty hours later." She tried to keep her voice void of emotion, but couldn't stop it from squeaking occasionally. She saw his eyes go wide, and then he somehow went faster. The landscape was a blur. She could feel determination seeping from his pores.

Sakura continued working on the fingers and toes, arms and legs. Within an hour, she couldn't move her hands or feet, two hours more and she couldn't move her arms below the elbow or below the knee. She was so frightened. What if they didn't make it in time? She couldn't describe the fear that was coursing through her. Three hours later, she couldn't move or feel her arms or legs.

She only had about four hours left until she fell into the coma. Sakura felt like crying, but knew she had to stay strong. She had to see her friends again. She had to get Aya away from Orochimaru. She couldn't leave Sasuke. No, that wouldn't happen. She couldn't, she wouldn't!

She knew that she would grow up, get married, have children, grandchildren. Live a long life. She couldn't lose that future now!

Within three and a half hours, Sakura couldn't feel her body, and the numbness was creeping up her neck.

"Sasuke," she managed to mumble. He looked down at her to show that he was listening. "I'm sorry… I'm going to pass out soon, and I won't wake up. After that, I'll have a maximum of twenty hours. Probably only about ten or fifteen, though." She could feel her eyes closing, her body giving up.

Sasuke listened intently, not stopping. Every second counted. He was absolutely exhausted, parched and famished, but he couldn't stop. He did look down at her again, and saw that she was smiling softly at him. For him.

"A… Arigato, Sasuke. For everything. I…" She breathed, finding it nearly impossible to keep her eyes open. "I… Love…" Her head drooped back, eyes closing, as she slipped peacefully into oblivion.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooh, what's going to happen to Sakura? Well, I know what's going to happen ;) But you'll just have to stay tuned XD How's about that preview?<strong>

**_Chapter 16 - The Sound of White_**

**..._ It was one in the morning when the few lights of Konoha came into view. Sasuke felt an immediate sense of relief rush through his body. He looked at the girl in his arms and almost had a heart attack. Her breathing had become shallow, and he could feel her heartbeat speeding up slowly..._**

**_..."Hold on, Sakura. We're almost there." He panted, closing his eyes and pushing forward with energy he didn't have._**

**X)  
><strong>


	16. The Sound of White

**I figured that with the amount of work school is piling on me, I probably won't update again until next week. So I thought 'I may as well update today'. Don't you love me :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, I would dis - evil Sasuke and make him real, then make him fall inlove with me X)**

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><p>'<em>Enter,' Tsunade's voice sounded, and I slipped inside.<em>

'_You called me, Tsunade Shishou?' I asked, taking the seat that Tsunade indicated._

_She nodded her head, taking a swig of Sake. I scrunched up my nose. 'Tsunade Sama, you should really ease up on that stuff. Being a medic, you should know the effects it has on your body, as well as your mind.'_

_Tsunade grimaced at me. I knew she was fed up with my textbook sentences, but it was fun annoying her sometimes. 'I am perfectly aware, Sakura. But do I look like I give a damn? No.' She took another gulp of Sake, as if to rub it in, before facing me with slightly unfocused eyes. 'You've been given a mission. It's only a B rank, but you've been out for a while and this is all I could get. The guy in question requested two guards. Kami knows why. So take your pick. Who do you want to bring?'_

_I shrugged. 'Probably Ino. She's been out as long as I have.' Tsunade nodded._

'_Here's the outline. Have a look.' Tsunade handed me a small file, which I opened._

'_Ishida Daiko?' I raised a brow. 'I've heard of him. Hasn't he been causing a bit of trouble for some of the smaller towns?' I'd heard some of the stories. There were disappearances surrounding that name._

_Tsunade nodded. 'Hai. I would've had him arrested, but there's no hard evidence against him, and he paid a good sum of money. He has two other companions with him. Along with a young girl who he said he was taking care of.'_

_I looked through the profile, and saw other names. 'Ishikawa Hayato, Ono Nori and Sasaki Aika.' There were no photos of the men, which was odd. Tsunade must have seen the look on my face._

'_They refused to get a picture. With the money they offered, I wasn't about to insist.'_

'_How old is the girl… Aika?' I asked her. If Daiko was the source of the disappearances, I wasn't about to willingly leave him alone with a young woman._

'_About eight years old, as far as I can gather. He said something about her being his cousin, and going to meet his sister outside the small town Mura, near the Hidden Waterfall Village. While on the mission, there's a message I'd like for you to give to the Kazekage. It's just detailing some of the things we've traded recently.' I inwardly whooped. Gaara and I had recently become really good friends. Even started to like each other._

'_Hai.' I grinned. 'I'll go see Ino.' Tsunade nodded at me._

'_Be ready to leave in an hour out the front of the gates. I want you back in Konoha in ten days.' I gave her the peace sign, before exiting the room._

_Ino and I dropped off Daiko and his gang on the third day. They had kept hoods and masks on the whole way, and didn't talk, excluding Aika. She was a sweet little girl, and it nearly killed me to leave her with them. She had lilac hair and rose petal eyes. She would grow up to be a true beauty. She had reassured me that her cousin would meet her soon, so she would be well taken care of. We immediately headed to Suna, and got there within a day and a half. Suna was as hot as I remembered it to be, and so was Gaara. We stayed in Suna for two days before reluctantly heading back to Konoha. I had a note for Shikamaru in my bag from Temari, and a number of knowing glances from Ino when she saw Gaara and I together. I knew that I'd be having a long talk with her about him on the way back._

_With one last hug from Gaara, Ino and I flew back towards Konoha. Little did I know that I wouldn't be seeing Konoha for a long time to come._

* * *

><p>Cho walked through the Konoha gates, Aika at her side. The two had travelled around for a while, before coming to Konoha. Cho had figured that Naruto would be here, as she had seen that his headband was the one representing the Village Hidden in the Leaves. She hoped that he would be able to set her up with a job. Cho had finally started coming out of her shell, mostly thanks to Aika. The girl had a contagious happiness, and Cho loved her for that.<p>

She walked through the main street. Everyone was around, as it was the middle of the day, and everybody was out shopping and getting lunch.

"Cho Chan, I'm hungry," Aika said, staring up at her cousin.

Cho smiled down at her kindly. "What would you like to eat, honey?"

Aika seemed to ponder the question for a moment, before her eyes lit up. "Can we get some Ramen, Cho Chan? We haven't had Ramen in months!" She started getting excited. Ramen was a rare treat for her. Cho often didn't have the money, and she didn't really at the moment. But after such a long walk, Aika deserved a small reward.

"Hai. Let's go." Cho led Aika through the bustling streets, trying to not get distracted by the stalls. They soon came across a place. "Ichiraku… Let's go, Aika." They walked in, ordered some Ramen, and sat down, smiling at each other.

Barely five minutes later, Cho heard a familiar voice, with two unfamiliar ones. She slowly turned her head, and sure enough, Naruto's smiling face entered Ichiraku's. Cho noted with a smile (but also a bit of jealousy) that he was holding hands with a very pretty pearl eyed girl. A young man with messy brown hair and red marks under his eyes stood next to them, a hand on the head of a massive white dog.

Naruto and his friends took a seat and ordered their meals. Cho quickly learned that his two friends were Hinata and Kiba.

…"But Kiba, what I don't get, is how you can go for a whole week without Ramen!" Naruto hollered, flapping his arms about and almost upsetting the bowls of Ramen.

Kiba laughed, finishing his mouthful. "I dunno, Naruto. I guess that Ramen just isn't the sort of food that I like to use instead of air."

Cho could feel his dumbfounded silence, before he erupted. "How can you not want to eat Ramen all the time?" He shouted, earning him a few good stares from passersby.

Kiba shrugged. "I find that if I have it only occasionally, then I can appreciate it more." He continued eating, feeling the confused and weirded - out air of Naruto.

"You're crazy, Kiba." Naruto said, looking over at Hinata. "You like eating Ramen a lot, don't you Hinata Chan?" He asked her, almost hopefully.

"H… Hai, Naruto Kun," Hinata squeaked, before leaning back over her bowl and eating it.

Naruto looked at her lovingly, before glancing up and seeing Cho. His brow creased, as if trying to remember something. "Hey, do I know you?" He asked that question at Cho, and said girl looked up, turning a light shade of pink. Recognition sparked in Naruto's eyes. "You… You're that girl… The one outside of Koishi! The one who helped in looking for Sakura Chan! Cho, right?" He asked her. Cho nodded her reply. "What are you doing here? Where's your little cousin… Aika?"

Cho leaned back to reveal the little girl. Aika smiled and waved at him, to which Naruto grinned and waved back. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked.

Cho shrugged. "You know, new start. I thought it would be a nice change." She waved her hand next to her head to slightly emphasis her point.

"Awesome!" Naruto exclaimed. "Where are you working? I'll come by and see you some time!"

Cho blushed and lowered her head. "We only just arrived. I don't have a job yet." Her unsaid words resounded. _'Or anywhere for Aika and I to stay.'_

Naruto, however, seemed oblivious to her unfinished sentence. "So, Cho Chan, where are you staying?"

Cho blushed even more furiously. "I… I don't know. I'll just find a hotel room where Aika and I can stay for a while, I guess." She suddenly seemed to find her Ramen incredibly interesting.

Naruto gaped at her. "You can't stay in a hotel, Cho! I'd say that you could stay with me, but I don't really have any room… Hinata, would your father let Cho and Aika stay with you?"

Hinata thought for a moment, and turned to smile kindly at Cho. "I… I would love t… To help you, Cho Chan and… And Aika. B… But my father is head of the Hyuuga Clan, and h… He doesn't take too kindly to… To strangers. I c… Can ask if he c… Can help set you up s… Somewhere, though?" She offered. Cho could see the guilt in her eyes when she said that she couldn't house the two.

Cho was surprised at their willingness to help. She was so use to being shunned. She smiled at Hinata, touched by the offer. "That is fine, Hinata. Thank you for the offer, but we'll be fine."

Naruto didn't seem to want to take any of that. "No, Cho Chan! We'll find you a place! Kiba! How about you? You have a spare room, don't you?" He turned hopefully to his friend, who smiled at Cho.

"Yeah, sure. I have a spare room that you two could take for a while. It's only me and Akamaru there, and Akamaru loves meeting new people!" He told her happily.

Cho smiled at him shyly. She was a bit afraid to stay with him. She generally found it hard to trust men after the harsh treatment she had received at Daiko's hands. But she needed to take Aika into consideration. Aika would be far better off in a home where she could always go back to, instead of constantly moving between motel rooms.

"If it isn't impeding on you or your lifestyle, then that would be greatly appreciated." She agreed hesitantly.

Kiba smiled at her. "Of course it's fine! Come on, I'll take you there now!" He jumped up, beckoning to Cho to follow him. Cho stood up, making to pay for the food, when Naruto held out his hand, stopping her.

"It's alright, Cho Chan. I'll get it. Go ahead." He smiled at her, leaving no room for argument.

"Arigato, Naruto! Thank you very much!" She ushered Aika from the stand, to where Kiba stood waiting. Kiba bent down so that he was eye level with Aika.

"Hey there, I'm Kiba. This is Akamaru." He patted Akamaru's back, to which the large dog gave an appreciative bark.

"Kon'nichiwa. I'm Aika." Aika grinned at him. "Hello, Akamaru," she patted his fur, and the dog turned around to lick her cheek. Aika giggled cutely.

"Say, would you like to ride Akamaru back to my apartment?" Kiba asked her, to which she nodded furiously.

"Oh yes please! Can I, Cho Chan? Oh please!" She begged, eyes alight.

Cho smiled down at her. "Of course you can, go on!" Kiba picked the little girl up and placed her gently on Akamaru's back. Aika smiled, squealing in delight. Kiba turned to Cho.

"Come on, let's go." Cho followed the three of them, a smile gracing her lips.

* * *

><p>It was one in the morning when the few street lights of Konoha came into view. Sasuke felt an immediate sense of relief rush through his body. He looked at the girl in his arms and almost had a heart attack. Her breathing had become shallow, and he could feel her heart beat speeding up slowly. Sasuke was at his limits, physically, emotionally, mentally… Sakura had been in a coma for twelve hours. She was now in the danger zone. Every moment that passed, Sasuke was afraid that it would be her last.<p>

"Hold on, Sakura. We're almost there." He panted, closing his eyes and pushing forward with energy he didn't have.

Sakura's heartbeat got faster. _No_, he thought. _We're too close. So close. Don't give up now, Sakura! We're almost there!_ Her heart beat rose with every passing second. Her breathing started to get faster. Her body got hot.

He jumped the walls to Konoha and made a beeline for the Hokage Tower. There was still a light where he knew the Hokage's office would be. He just hoped that that would mean that she's there.

500 metres…

Sakura's breathing hitched. Sweat rolled off her body in rivulets and her heart beat rocketed. _Hold on, Sakura,_ Sasuke silently begged her.

400 metres…

'_Where am I?' Sakura thought. 'It's dark in here.' She looked around and saw that she was in a white summer dress that went to her knees. She noticed that it started to get hot, and a white light flared. Sakura shielded her eyes with her arm. 'What is that?' She thought, and started to walk towards it._

300 metres…

_She heard voices whispering on the other side. Voices offering warmth and comfort._

'_Sakura,' they cooed. 'Come here, don't be afraid. You're safe now. It doesn't hurt over here.' Sakura started to walk towards them…_

200 metres…

_An ethereal shape appeared before her._

'_Mama?' Sakura asked, a smile forming on her features. The woman took her daughter in her arms._

'_Sakura, my beautiful blossom. I've been watching you. I'm so proud of you, and I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you. You've becomes so strong and beautiful and smart. You're everything I knew you would be and more.'_

100 metres…

'_Sakura honey, it's time. You've fought this fight, and you've done incredible. Papa is waiting for you. He is so proud of you.' Chie smiled at her daughter, taking her hand._

'_What do you mean, mama?' Sakura asked. 'It isn't my time yet. I still have so much to do!'_

50 metres…

'_Come on, Sakura. Come with me. It's alright. You don't need to be afraid. It won't hurt, I promise.' She beckoned towards Sakura, and walked back towards the light. 'Come on, beautiful girl.' She smiled reassuringly._

_Sakura stepped back. 'No, mama, I can't. Tell papa I love him. It isn't my time yet. I love you, mama.'_

'_Sakura, you have to," Chie pleaded._

_Sakura smiled reassuringly at her mother...  
><em>

10 metres…

Sakura stopped breathing.

* * *

><p><strong>Oooh, I think I'm getting better at writing cliff hangers XD And you guys probably all hate me right now for leaving it there. But, you're just going to have to wait :P<strong>

_**Chapter 17 - Don't leave me**_

_**... Tears were falling down his cheeks, and he couldn't have cared less about wiping them away. There was nothing but the girl before him. "Please, Sakura. Don't go where I can't follow you," he choked, breathing for her again. "Sakura, please... Don't leave me. I love you"...**_

**XD Don't hate me, guys. So, you wanna leave me a review? The more I get, the quicker I'll update. Promise! (Yes, I'm bribing you ;))**

**So, until next time, that's not all, folks! x**


	17. Don't Leave Me

**I was going to post it up on Sunday, can you believe it? But because you guys are awesome, I couldn't help myself. Have I mentioned that you are awesome? Well, you are XD And without further ado, I present Chapter Seventeen!**

**Disclaimer: I am not currently in the possession of Naruto**.

* * *

><p>Sasuke burst through the glass window into the office, almost hitting Tsunade. Said woman stood in shock and fright as the dark haired man scrambled around on the floor, a girl with pink hair in his arms.<p>

"Sakura!" Tsunade cried upon seeing the girl. She looked at the man. "Sasuke?" She seemed confused, but Sasuke couldn't have cared less.

"She's been poisoned by the Azalea plant and has been in a coma for about twelve hours now. She stopped breathing a few seconds ago."

Tsunade swept all the items off her desk, an automatic sign for him to place her there, which he did so tenderly.

Tsunade's hands glowed green, opening Sakura's airways with one and coaxing her heart beat to return with the other. She could feel the poison wrapped around Sakura's heart and lungs, and knew that she would have to work quickly, else Sakura would die.

"What can I do?" Sasuke asked her. He felt so helpless. Sakura still wasn't breathing!

"CPR. Breathe for her." Tsunade ordered.

Sasuke nodded, immediately parting her lips and breathing into a body that had lost the will to live. He pumped her lungs three times, careful to not get in Tsunade's way, before breathing for her again. "Come on, Sakura!" He growled, forcing her lungs to work again, before going back to her mouth. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but quickly brushed them away. He couldn't give up on her! He wouldn't give up on her! She was all he had left, the only reason he had to live. He pressed on her lungs again, before going back to her lips and breathing. "Sakura, please… Live…" He begged her, working futilely on her lungs and breath. It had been a minute and she still wasn't breathing. She was going so cold. "Please, Sakura…" Tears were falling down his cheeks, and he couldn't have cared less about wiping them away. There was nothing but the girl before him. "Please, Sakura. Don't go where I can't follow you," he choked, breathing for her again. "Sakura, please… Don't leave me. I love you." He rested his brow against Sakura's, his voice barely raised higher than a whisper. Tears cascaded down his cheeks. His chest felt numb with pain. So this is what it felt like to have your heart breaking. He looked at Sakura, his love, his life, and willed her eyes to open. He would give anything to see her emerald orbs shine at him again. Give anything to have her breast rise in inhalation again. Give anything to hear her finish her last sentence… She was everything to him, and he was nothing without her. He loved her. It was a simple, honest and life shattering truth.

_Sakura smiled. 'Gomen, mama, but I can't go with you. Not yet.'_

Sakura looked peaceful as her chest rose minutely, almost as if she'd been breathing the whole time. Most would have missed it, but it was the one reaction that Sasuke and Tsunade were waiting for. Hoping for. Praying to Kami, and every other god that may exist, did exist, use to exist or had yet to exist, would happen.

Tsunade sighed in relief. The poison wasn't yet gone, but at least she was breathing again. She glanced at Sasuke briefly. She hadn't missed his few words, and was curious as to what had happened between the two. She thought that Sasuke didn't give a shit for Sakura! Apparently, that was no longer the case.

"I can take it from here, Uchiha. I'm going to take her to the hospital. Stay here, I'll need to talk to you." Tsunade picked Sakura's limp body into her arms and, in a swirl of leaves, left the office.

The next few hours were torture for Sasuke. He'd never felt so frightened. It was taking all of his willpower to not go to the hospital and see if she was okay. The only reason he didn't was because if he showed up there, he'd be arrested and there's no way he'd be able to see if Sakura was alright. So he sat there on a chair, letting none of his emotions escape.

Dawn was approaching when Tsunade reappeared back in the office. She had rings under her eyes, and was in a grumpy, but pleased mood. Upon seeing Sasuke's anxious face, "she'll live, Uchiha, and make a full recovery." Sasuke slumped back into the chair, relieved.

Tsunade noticed this as well. She pulled up a chair and sat facing him directly. "Now tell me, what the _hell_ were you doing, smashing into my office in the middle of the night, Sakura half dead in your arms? And cut the bullshit. I heard what you said to her, I saw the worry in your face and I heard it in your voice, and by your fucking actions! So don't think you can say 'I found her on the side of the road and thought she needed help.' I won't fall for it!" Tsunade drew in gasping breaths. Of all the ways she had thought to find Sakura, this had been one of the last.

Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. How much should he tell her? He saw the look in her burning eyes, and knew he had to tell her basically everything; she wouldn't accept less. "Back in December, I found Sakura in a clearing, with a group of seven men attempting to rape and kill her. I killed them and brought her back with me to… My hideout. There, Kabuto repressed her chakra -" Tsunade nodded at that. She had obviously figured something out of that kind. "- and I made her my serving girl. Shit happened, unwanted visitors turned up, Sakura got poisoned and so, here we are." Okay, so not everything, but no one had told him to go into detail. He wouldn't reveal too much, only what was necessary.

Tsunade leaned back, unsatisfied. "There's some things you're not telling me, Uchiha."

"There are some things that I am not at liberty to tell you." He shot back. Tsunade understood this and nodded.

"There are some things which I need you to know about her current condition." Tsunade began. "There is a block on her chakra, but I'll remove that slowly, once she's recovered. It was a concentrated poison from the azalea plant. If you had gotten here five minutes later, Sakura would be dead. It had infected her heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and brain. It was a miracle she survived as it is." Tsunade took a deep breath, before revealing the last thing to him. "Sasuke, Sakura was pregnant." Sasuke stiffened at that, his mind clouded, and his nostrils flared. He knew what she was about to say. So that's what the blood had been? His child…

"She lost the baby because of the poison. She wasn't far along, maybe only two weeks at most." Sasuke nodded, his jaw clenched. He would _kill_ Kabuto, and _damn_ the consequences!

"Sasuke." Said male looked at her. "It was yours, wasn't it?" Tsunade could see the rage in his eyes, but would have figured as much with or without that.

Sasuke nodded at her once, his thoughts consumed by a hatred which could only be matched by that which he had once held for his brother. No. Screw that. This _loathing_ pummelled that sorry excuse that he had described as _hatred_, until it was no more that a cowering piece of filth on a dingy floor.

"Sakura should be recovered in a few days. You may stay with me until she is. I know that you don't want to stay here, and as my way of saying thank you for bringing Sakura back, I will let you leave uninhibited. But no one must know you are here."

Sasuke nodded at her again. "When can I see her? How?" He asked.

"When she is recovered enough to move on her own. I will bring her to you."

Sasuke nodded again and Tsunade sighed.

"I will bring you back to my quarters now. Please throw up a genjutsu so that people won't recognise you." Sasuke nodded, did the required hand seals, and immediately a glamour portraying him as an old man appeared. He followed Tsunade from the room, cloaking his chakra as he went.

**xXx**

Sakura slowly opened her eyes to bright white lights. _Where am I?_ She thought. _Am I dead?_ She thought about this for a moment. _No, I can't be dead. My body hurts too much._

"Sakura!"

_Tsunade? _That was definitely Tsunade's voice calling her. Why was Tsunade here? _Maybe I am dead. Tsunade can't be here… But then, why is Tsunade dead?_

"Sakura is waking up. I need morphine!"

_Tsunade again. Maybe I should try saying something. Wait, where is Sasuke? Is he alright? Did he get me to…_ All of her previous memories came streaming back to her, and she sat up straight with a gasp. "Sasuke!" She yelled, hoping that he was beside her. She looked down at her body and started feeling her stomach, arms, legs, face, chest. _Well, I still have my body_. She looked around and saw Tsunade staring at her. "Tsunade? Where's Sasuke?" Her eyes slowly managed to adjust to the light and she suddenly realised that she was in the Konoha hospital.

Tsunade looked at her with soft eyes. "You'll be able to see him soon, Sakura," she whispered softly, so that only Sakura could hear. Sakura nodded her head in acceptance and lay back down on the pillow.

"How long have I been here?" Sakura asked, feeling dizzy.

"Three days. We almost lost you. I managed to extract all of the poison, but your body is still very weak. You'll need to stay here at least two more days before you're recovered enough to walk around."

Sakura nodded again. "Where is Sasuke?" She piqued. How was he?

"He's staying with me for a little bit. Nobody knows he is here."

A nurse who Sakura didn't recognise entered then, a smile on her face. "Kon'nichiwa, Sakura San. Gomen, but I must give you this anaesthetic, as I'm sure your body must be quite sore from all that it has had to endure." She stuck a needle into the drip, and Sakura could feel all of the aches and pains start to disappear.

"Tsunade Sama, could I possibly have some food? I'm starving."

Tsunade nodded and went to get some food. When Sakura was munching happily on an apple, Tsunade said "I've partially started to remove the block on your Chakra. It's been repressed for a long time, so I'm going to slowly remove it bit by bit over the next two weeks. If I were to let it all go at once, it could kill you."

Sakura nodded at that. It was to be expected. Her body would go into shock because of the sudden Chakra rush. It could only be compared to when Naruto would have the kyuubi break free, only hers would be more violent on her body; Naruto's body had grown accustomed to living with the kyuubi over so many years. Sakura's had gotten far too use to dealing without the need for Chakra. Sakura would probably lose herself, go into shock, have multiple seizures, her heart and mind would give out, Chakra points would explode from the sudden onslaught of Chakra that they are unused to keeping, and she would die. "Arigato, Tsunade Sama. I'm just glad that the block is able to be removed."

Tsunade nodded at her student before standing. "I'm going to go and tell the Uchiha that you are awake and recovering well. I'll be back soon."

Sakura just nodded and Tsunade stood up and left.

**xXx**

Sasuke paced around the room slowly, his eyes on the carpet. He heard the door open and growled as Tsunade called him. What did the old woman want now?

"Sasuke!" She called again, going to find the boy. She found him in his room, walking with a scowl on his face. He stopped in his tracks and glared at her. Tsunade could tell that he hated being locked up.

"What?" He spat, but Tsunade just continued to look at him passively, a small smile on her face.

"Sakura has woken up." She stated simply. Sasuke appeared infront of her and clutched her shoulders, shaking her.

"How is she? Is she alright? Will she be okay?" The words flew from his mouth like desperate daggers.

"She's fine. She'll make a full recovery, as I said before. She will be able to walk by herself in approximately two days." Sasuke nodded and continued to pace. Tsunade sighed and left her home, heading back to the hospital.

**xXx**

Two days later, Sakura limped from the hospital, clutching Tsunade's arm. She had vehemently refused a walking frame, or stick, or wheelchair, or anything that she would need to rely on to be mobile, for that matter. Tsunade led the girl to the Hokage mansion. Nobody yet knew of Sakura's return, and all of the nurses that had helped her had been sworn to secrecy, under pain of being fired permanently from their jobs and unable to work anywhere except shovelling manure. Tsunade had thrown a genjutsu over Sakura, and anyone who enquired as to who Sakura was, was quickly told to mind their own damn business.

"Sasuke is still in my rooms. I'll leave the both of you in there to have some time to yourselves, but if he tries to take you with him, I will have him arrested. He already knows this, and I think it's only fair that you do too." Tsunade said to her student in a low voice, incase their conversation attracted prying ears.

Sakura nodded, giving her sensei a small smile. Her throat was dry with anticipation to see Sasuke again, and butterflies were going rampant in her stomach.

"You're nervous, aren't you Sakura?" Tsunade said, sensing it from the girl.

Ha. Understatement! "Just a _little_ bit," Sakura replied, making a small space with her thumb and index finger.

"A little?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "I can feel you shaking like a leaf caught in a tornado!" She said, rather more loudly than necessary.

Sakura shrugged. "I'm prone to hyperbole."

"You can say that again…" They continued walking, Sakura getting a few looks along the way, but she just ignored them.

Sakura hadn't fully realised just how anxious she was to see Sasuke again until Tsunade and herself were standing outside of the door. _All that is separating us is this one piece of wood…_ Sakura thought. She shrugged the thought off and opened the door.

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><p><strong>Woot Woot! Sakura's alive! Teehee, I got you all so wound up XD I just want to say thanks for all of the reviews I've been getting. I actually have over a hundred now! I didn't think I'd ever get that many, and now that I have, it feels surreal! So thank you so so soooo much for that :)<strong>

**_Chapter 18 - Here Comes Goodbye_**

**_...He slowly opened the door and saw Sakura standing there, tears in her eyes. "Come back with me," he said one last time._**

**_Sakura shook her head. "I can't go back, Sasuke. Konoha is my home... Please stay. For me. Stay with me. Please."_**

**_Sasuke crouched before her. "No."_**...

**Oooh, wonder what's going to happen next? Well, you know what to do if you want to find out quicker :) x**


	18. Here Comes Goodbye

**I have decided that work is like maths: Love the class, hate the subject. Yesterday, I had a twelve hour shift. Standing up and putting dishes away. Friday, a seven and a half hour shift. My feet are hurties! Anyways, here's Chapter 18 :)**

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><p>Sakura opened the door and peered inside, before walking in. "Sasuke?" She called out nervously, before she gasped as strong arms were around her, threatening to never let go. The genjutsu around her lifted, and she heard the door close as Tsunade left the room. Sakura clutched the front of Sasuke's shirt, breathing in his scent, before hiding her face in the crook of his neck.<p>

"Sakura," his breath shook the hairs on the top of her head and he rested his brow there. "I thought I'd lost you."

"You almost did," she mumbled in response. He lifted her chin up to meet his eyes and placed a light but passionate kiss on her lips. Sakura responded slowly. Her legs felt weak, and she knew that she shouldn't be standing for so long while still recovering. "Sasuke, I need to sit down." Her legs gave way, and Sasuke carried her over to the couch.

"How are you feeling?" He asked her, looking deep into her eyes.

Sakura shrugged. "Lively." She looked at him carefully, trying to repress a grin at her joke. He just stared at her as if trying to decipher whether she was serious or not.

"It was a joke, Sasuke. You know, 'hahaha?' Laugh? It was meant to be funny. _F – u – nn – y._ Say it with me. Fun – ny." He just stared at her, obviously confused. "The word 'Joke' really isn't in your dictionary, is it?" He scowled at her.

"This isn't a funny situation, Sakura." He said, obviously not happy that she was trying to joke about her own demise.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Sasuke! If you can't laugh at bad memories, then what can you laugh at?"

"Good memories."

Sakura shook her head, annoyed. "Could you please try to smile, Sasuke? You're killing me here -" He glared at her, "- I mean, oh you know what I mean." She brushed it off.

"Not funny, Sakura."

"Sasuke, please smile for me. It isn't that hard. See? All you have to do is this." She put her index fingers on either side of his lips and pushed up. "There we go. Not so difficult, is it?" She smiled at her own handy work. "I like you better when you smile, Sasuke." She confided. "It reminds me that only ninety nine point nine - nine percent of you is an absolute jerk." Sasuke looked at her darkly, and Sakura dropped her hands.

"What's wrong with you, Sasuke? Can't you see that I'm alive? That I'm recovering well? Won't you at least pretend to be happy that I'm happy?" She started feeling sad. She just wanted a smile from him. One smile. That wasn't so much to ask, was it?

Sasuke held her face between his hands. "Sakura, how can I smile, knowing that I almost lost you? You nearly died because of me. And," he hesitated, which Sakura saw with some surprise, "Tsunade told me that you were pregnant, and that the poison killed the child. How can I smile knowing that I lost my child and I almost lost you?" He held her tight against his chest. "I want to smile, because you are here with me, safe and alive and well, but I can't smile knowing all that we both lost. I feel so powerless. I have been training my whole life, killed some of the most dangerous men in the world, and yet, I couldn't save you from a simple poisoning. What's the point in power if I can't save those who are most precious to me?"

Sakura had frozen. Why had Tsunade told him about the child? Why? He needn't have ever known about it! She could have easily passed it off as something else… Her time of the month for example, or her body trying to dispel the poison.

Sasuke noticed when Sakura froze, and was very surprised that she wasn't babbling on about the news of their baby. "Sakura? Why have you gone so quiet?" She didn't respond, so he held her at arm's length. Sakura refused to look at him, and Sasuke wondered why she looked so guilty. "It's not your fault you lost the baby, Sakura. I'm not blaming you."

Sakura still refused to look at him. "I know, but it's not that." How was she meant to tell him that she knew that she had been pregnant? If lying had been an option then she would have gladly taken it. But Sasuke had already guessed something was wrong, and he would keep questioning her until she told him. And she was starting to guess at where the poison had been hiding…

"Then what is it?" He had a bad feeling about what she was going to say.

Sakura took a deep breath, still refusing to meet his gaze, and decided to be blunt. "I knew about the baby around the morning before I was poisoned. I also think I know what poisoned me: the muffin I had. I remember tasting something sour in it." Sakura dared glance at him. He looked calm, stoic. But there was a burning rage in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you spit it out?" He ground through his teeth. He couldn't describe how angry he was at that moment.

She hesitated. "I'd only just found out, Sasuke. You'll find that a lot of girls keep it to themselves for the first couple of weeks. And the baby was still only in its early stages. I still had around a fifty percent chance of miscarriage, because it was in the first two to three weeks. I didn't want to get your hopes up at the prospect of a family, only to have a natural miscarriage. And as I said before: I thought nothing of it. It could have easily been too much baking soda." She looked down at her lap, and felt him move off the couch. She heard a door slam, and looked up. Sasuke was nowhere in sight.

She sat there for what seemed like forever, before the door opened and Sasuke walked back out.

"Sakura, I have to take you back with me."

Sakura raised her head, showing him shocked and angry eyes. "No way in hell, Sasuke. I'm staying here."

He glared at her. "Sakura, I have to take you back. You know where the locations of some hideouts and safe houses are. It's too dangerous for you to stay here." Sakura blanched at him, shocked beyond words. After everything that she had been through while a prisoner with him, he was saying '_It's too dangerous in Konoha.'_

"I. Can't. _Believe_. You. Back there, I was raped, abused, tortured and poisoned! And yet, you have the _nerve_ to tell me 'Konoha is too dangerous for you.' I have never been tortured or poisoned or abused or raped in Konoha! At least, not by Konoha citizens who were perfectly aware of what they did! Konoha is my _home_, Sasuke, and I'll be damned if I'm going to willingly leave it for some hell hole! No. Not even for you, Sasuke! I am not going to leave Konoha!" Her nostrils flared in anger. Oh she was _pissed_ now!

"If you won't come back willingly, then I'll take you back by force." He advanced towards her, determination in his eyes.

"I already told you I'm not going back! And if you give a damn about me at all, you'll respect that!" Her voice got louder and louder, conveying the anger that she was feeling. "Hey, here's a thought," her voice still projecting anger, "why don't you stay here in Konoha? Why do I have to be the one that goes back?" To Sakura this sounded extremely reasonable. Why shouldn't he just stay in Konoha?

"Sakura, I have good reason to stay out of Konoha" He told her, trying to stop the memories from flooding into his head.

"Oh really?" She mocked. "Then tell me what this 'oh so good reason' is. What? Are you afraid that Naruto will be even more powerful than you? Afraid of having your ridiculous pride and ego hit?" She knew that she was crossing into dangerous territory, but she couldn't have cared less! How dare he order around, like she was some sort of slave! That was long over. They were in her world now, and she'd be damned if any headstrong jerk tried to force her away from it.

Sasuke was immediately infront of her, his face merely centimetres from hers, their breath entwining infront of them. Sasuke's eyes radiated hurt, anger and loss. Sakura immediately realised that she had gone too far. "The first reason, Sakura, is that I'm an S rank criminal. I'd either be arrested or killed on sight. Fuck having a family, fuck reviving my clan, fuck staying with you, I wouldn't live long enough to put up my hands in surrender! The second is that Konoha was responsible for the destruction of my clan! Itachi was merely used as a pawn for the Elders to wipe out my family! If it weren't for Konoha, my clan would still be alive. I'd have a mother, a father, maybe even more siblings! I wouldn't have spent nine years of my _fucking_ life wallowing in hatred and loathing for my brother, and I _certainly_ wouldn't have killed him. How the _fuck_ could you expect me to live in Konoha, knowing that they could kill me, or kill those who are close to me, purely because we breathe? It's not an option, Sakura." He was breathing heavily and his nostrils were flared from the surge of rage. His eyes had bled into the Sharingan, the tomoes spinning dizzyingly fast. He had said the whole thing softly, almost whispered it, but Sakura would have preferred it if he'd yelled at her.

Sakura stared at him, dumbfounded. She felt so guilty. "Sasuke, I -"

"Forget it, Sakura. I don't want to hear it. You want to stay here. I get it. But I'm leaving tonight. I only stayed to make sure you were safe." He walked back to his room and Sakura shakily got to her feet, intending to follow him.

"Sasuke, wait! I'm sorry, I didn't know." She slowly made her way to the door and leant her head against the cool wood. "Please, Sasuke. Gomen. I didn't realise. Forgive me."

Sasuke stood on the other side of the door, his head resting the same way as Sakura's. He was so angry with her for provoking him like that. He realised that she wasn't to know, but that didn't make any difference to him. How could she be so heartless? Siding with Konoha, even after all they'd done to him? He thought that she'd cared for him more than that. All of her apologies washed over him. _It was only to be expected, after all_, a dark snake like voice whispered in the back of his mind. _She is from Konoha. Their murderous mind frame is embedded in her flesh. She was tainted from the moment she was born._

A different part of Sasuke argued against this though. _No! That isn't true! She didn't know about that! Can't you hear her on the other side of the door? She is sorry that she hurt you! She isn't like them!_

_Oh yeah? Well then, why won't she come back with you? Face it, Sasuke. She doesn't care for you at all. She loves seeing you in pain. She started hurting you from the moment you saved her in the clearing. You were just too weak to realise it, and now you're paying the consequences for that. It's just like when you were a boy again. You were too weak to finish off Itachi on your own, and now you're too weak to get over this girl. You know that although Itachi may have been a pawn, he was a pawn with a brain. He could have very easily just not have killed your clan. And you know that you wouldn't have defeated him if he hadn't have been sick. You should stop caring for people. All they ever want to do is hurt you…_

_Shut up…_

_You know I'm right, you're just too weak, Sasuke. You are weak and pathetic._

"I'm not weak." He ground out. He could hear Sakura crying softly on the other side of the door.

"Sasuke, please, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

He slowly opened the door and saw Sakura standing there, tears in her eyes. "Come back with me." He said one last time.

Sakura shook her head. "I can't go back, Sasuke. Konoha is my home." Her legs gave out and she crumbled to the floor. "Sasuke, things are different now. Tsunade wouldn't kill you, or your family. She would die before she let innocent civilians be slaughtered. Please stay. For me. Stay with me. Please."

Sasuke crouched before her. "No." He said coldly. "I leave tonight. You can either come with me, or you can stay here. If you stay here, you will never see me again. That I can promise you."

That night, at midnight, Tsunade walked beside Sasuke and Sakura, both of whom had genjutsu's placed around them. They got to the gates and stood there for a moment.

"Alright, you two. You know what happens. Off you go." They both nodded, before walking off. Tsunade stood there a moment, before walking back to the mansion.

Sasuke and Sakura walked side by side along the dirt road. They had made a plan for Sasuke to leave the village undetected and Sakura to come into the village without causing suspicion. At dawn, Sakura would walk back, looking the worse for wear, and Sasuke would be effectively gone.

When they were out of sight of the village, they let the justu fade away, and reverted back to their normal selves. The silence was agonising for Sakura. Sasuke had remained angry with her, and he refused to talk to her. She felt so lost and confused. All she wanted was to hold him, beg him to stay with her, come back with her. She knew that that wasn't going to happen.

When a light filtered over the horizon, Sasuke looked at Sakura. "Last chance."

Tears started to form in her eyes, and she hated that all she ever did was cry now. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest. "I can't."

He turned to leave, but Sakura grabbed his hand. "Don't leave like this." Sasuke looked at her, confused, so Sakura perked up on her toes and gave him a soft, lingering kiss. "I'll miss you." She whispered, wishing she could say three different words. "Please take care of Aya for me. Watch out for her."

He nodded at her stiffly, before he was gone.

She stood there for a moment, before slowly heading back to Konoha.

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><p><strong>Lalala... What? You should know by now that I love to stir things up! Alright, so deep breaths, don't you look at me like that! Put the knife down... No, no, don't pick it back up! Down... Good child! *beams happily*<strong>

**_Chapter 19 - Home_**

**_..."So, Sakura Chan, where have you been all this time? We only tracked you to a river, and couldn't find any traces of Chakra after the river. What happened?"...  
><em>**

**_...He had one destination in mind, and didn't want Karin anywhere near him..._**

**_Sakura. His heart ached when he thought of her. He wished he hadn't left her so coldly. He wished he would've held her, and kissed her before he left. Tell her he'd miss her like crazy too..._**

**You want to know what happens next, don't you? Do Sasuke and Sakura get back together? Will there ever be a happy ending? Will Naruto ever willingly eat vegetables? You know what to do to find out :) x  
><strong>


	19. Home

**You know what? You guys gave me 19 reviews in under 24 hours. You definitely (that is the _one word_ I _always_ have extreme difficulty spelling! Don't ask me why, I don't know) deserve this early update because you are all amazing, and I love you more than ice cream :) (I know, ice cream? Whoa... Now that doesn't happen very often.) I hope you enjoy! :D**

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><p>Sakura stumbled back to Konoha. Her legs had given out a few times on the way back, and they were threatening to do so again. She almost cried in relief as the gates came into view. But Sakura had made a deal with herself. She wouldn't cry again. She was done with crying. She hated that it gave away a weakness she wasn't meant to have. So she would cry no more.<p>

She heard a shout from someone at the gates and knew that they had spotted her and her pink hair.

She had never felt more grateful to it.

Her legs gave out again beneath her and she sat in the middle of the road while a nin ran towards her.

"Are… Are you…? No… It can't be… Haruno Sakura? Is that you?" The nin asked, crouching down before her.

"Hai." It was more of a breathy sigh, but that didn't matter. She was finally home, and that's all that mattered. Well, except that home was no longer quite complete.

She felt them lifting her and taking her through Konoha, through to the hospital. She was admitted immediately, and Tsunade appeared at her side.

"Do you want me to let people know now, or wait for a bit?" Tsunade asked her student, smiling happily.

Sakura's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Oh, please tell people now! I've missed everyone like crazy!"

The Hokage nodded and poofed back to her office. "Naruto! Ino! Kakashi! Sai! Lee! Hinata!" All six people appeared before her, Naruto and Ino looking grumpy, Kakashi and Sai looking bored, Lee looking… Like only Lee could, and Hinata looking shy.

"Hai, Hokage Sama! What is it that your will requires of me? Whatever it is, I will make sure that I, Rock Lee, complete it with the utmost finesse, and if I should happen to fail, I shall do five thousand push ups, and if I cannot accomplish that, I shall -"

"That's enough, Lee." Said Tsunade, her face looking grave. (Purely to mislead the people before her, obviously.) "Now, I have some news for you. I must ask you to not make a scene. It's about Sakura."

Naruto was there in an instant. "Baa Chan, what is it? Did we get her? Did we find her? She's alive, right? She'll be okay, right?" Tsunade could hear the desperation in his voice, and could vaguely see Hinata carefully lowering Ino into a chair. Ino was pale and tears were forming in her eyes. Whether for impending joy or sadness, Tsunade couldn't tell. Kakashi just stood there, his expression vacant, but Tsunade could tell that his mind was whirring at a thousand miles a minute. Lee was shouting "Yes! I knew my beautiful blossom would find her way back to us!" Sai just stood there being… Sai.

"Naruto, I'm sorry, but she has been poisoned and is in bad shape. I don't know if…" She hesitated, for dramatic tension, "If the nurses will let you see her right away or not!" Tsunade started grinning like a kid. "She's doing fine, Naruto, and apart from a few bumps and bruises, she's in great condition."

Naruto yelled, and punched the air. "Baa Chan! You had me so worried! Arigato, Baa Chan! Arigato, arigato, arigato!" And with that, he poofed from the room, landing in the hospital. Ino, Kakashi, Sai, Lee and Hinata only seconds behind him.

Naruto tracked Sakura's (newly found!) Chakra signature to room 407, where he burst in, startling the nurse who was taking Sakura's temperature.

"Excuse me, but I must ask you to -"

'SAKURA CHAN!" Naruto roared in delight, launching himself at the poor pinkette.

"Naruto!" Sakura called in happiness, hugging Naruto to herself fiercely. Naruto had tears streaming down his cheeks. Sakura managed to extract enough of her own face from Naruto's bear hug to peer around his chest. "Ino! Oh my gosh, Ino! And… KAKASHI SENSEI! Hinata! Lee! Sai! Oh my… KAMI! I've missed you guys so much! Can you pry this one -" she pointed to Naruto "- off me so I can breathe and say hi to all of you?" She vaguely saw the nurse leave quietly, before Ino and Kakashi threw Naruto off of her and, in turn, hugged her ferociously.

"Sakura! I am so sorry I lost track of you back in December, I've been so worried, I am so glad you are okay! Don't you ever run off on me again, I've been going mad, everyone here has been so down since you've been gone… Don't you ever disappear again otherwise I will find you and punch you so hard, Sasori will wince!" Ino gushed, holding Sakura in a grip that could easily rival Naruto's.

"Ino… Can't… Breathe…" Sakura choked, and Ino let her grip loosen slightly, before Kakashi coughed and Ino stepped aside to let Kakashi through.

"Sakura." He said her name carefully, as if afraid that it could send her running. "You've had us all worried sick."

Sakura giggled, still slightly breathless from Ino's assault. "I missed you too Kakashi." She kissed him on the cheek, and embraced him. He returned her hug with a crinkled eye.

Then it was Lee's turn. "Sakura Chan, my beautiful sunflower! My heart in flipping in joy that you have returned home in such an amazing way! I know that it is surely a feat that only one such as yourself could possibly achieve! The Power of Youth is truly shining brightly and strong in your soul!" He gave her the good guy pose, and Sakura sweat dropped. Lee still hadn't changed; from his personality, to his full green suit, to his incredible bowl cut.

"Alright Lee, just hug me already. Tsunade Sama's heart will be flipping for a completely different reason if I have to go over there myself and hug you." Lee grinned at her and hugged her tightly, before Hinata came forwards and hugged her with a strength that belied her petite body.

"I am so glad you are home, Sakura Chan. I have missed you terribly. Everyone has."

"Thank you, Hinata Chan." She let go after a minute or so, and Sai stepped forward.

"I started making a book, with different facial expressions in it, and what they mean," he said calmly. "Everyone here is smiling, but they are also crying. I wasn't sure why at first. If you smile, it means you are happy -" he showed her a picture of a smiling face in a small book. Underneath was the word 'Happy'. "But if you cry, then it means you are sad." He showed her another picture with a crying face. Underneath was the word 'Sad'. "I've been thinking all this time as to why everyone is both happy and sad, before I remembered a passage that I read in a book a few months ago: 'They cried tears of happiness'. I suppose that this is what that means. Tears of happiness. I don't understand the concept, but I figure that it means that one is just very very happy. Would that be correct?"

Sakura smiled kindly at him. He had been making a lot of process in her absence. "That would be correct, Sai. And another thing that people do when they are happy to see someone is that they give them a hug, so come here and hug me." Sai shuffled towards her, unsure of what to do. He put his arm around her shoulders in an awkward embrace, before backing away.

"So, Sakura Chan, where have you been all this time? We only tracked you to a river, and couldn't find any traces of chakra after the river. What happened?" Naruto asked eagerly, and everyone nodded at his question, eager for her story.

Sakura started to sweat in a panic. She hadn't even thought of what she was going to tell everyone! _Think, Sakura, think!_ She thought desperately, but nothing sprang to mind. She couldn't tell them about Sasuke and Orochimaru, she had already told Sasuke she wouldn't. And besides, if Naruto were to find out where Sasuke was, he would head straight off without thinking through a plan. He could get himself killed if he did that!

"Uh… I… I have to… To talk to Tsunade about it first, before I tell you guys." _Yeah, this could work, keep going with the lie. Then you and Tsunade can figure out a cover up story together, and won't be giving two different stories to them! _"I… Uh… I went over it briefly with Tsunade, but she told me that she wants me to tell her the whole story before I tell you guys or anyone else, for that matter." Sakura inwardly congratulated herself for her quick thinking.

Naruto looked at her with sad eyes, but he (finally) knew better than to argue with Tsunade's orders. "Alright, Sakura Chan. But don't think you can keep it a secret forever! As soon as Tsunade knows, BAM!" He slapped his hands together, "you tell me, okay?"

Sakura laughed at him. "Alright, Naruto. You got it.

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><p>It had taken Sasuke four days to get back to the Wataridori Base. He walked through the halls, and was pissed beyond reason when he sensed Karin's Chakra approaching him.<p>

"Karin, I swear, if you come any closer to me, I will make your corpse so unrecognisable, it'll be impossible to tell whether you were a human or a rabbit." With satisfaction, he felt her Chakra slowly moving away from him. He had one destination in mind, and didn't want Karin anywhere near him. He had a promise to fulfil to Sakura.

Sakura. His heart ached when he thought of her. He wished he hadn't left her so coldly. He wished he would've held her, and kissed her back before he'd left. Tell her that he'd miss her like crazy too. That… That he loved her, instead of whispering it to her when she was half dead. He felt so lonely, knowing that she wasn't waiting just behind the door to his room. He hadn't realised just how much he had depended on her presence. Ironically it took her absence for him to wish she was with him. The saying stood true: You never know what you have until it's gone.

He opened the door to Shinji's old room and sensed Aya's presence. He heard her squeak in fright and heard her running around trying to find a place to hide. She was in the kitchen again, so he walked in that direction. Aya was huddled on the bench, shaking.

"You haven't come to kill me, have you sir?" She asked timidly.

Sasuke shook his head. "No. You are Aya, yes?" She nodded. "You were an important friend to Sakura. She asked me to keep you safe. Come, you will be staying with me."

When Aya didn't make to move, he reassured her that he meant her no harm. She followed him to his room.

At night, when he was standing under the shower, he remembered something, and his hands started to shake. It was his birthday. July twenty third. He had hoped that Sakura would be with him on his birthday. He had planned to tell her that he loved her. To hold her in his arms, kiss her like his life depended on it, cook a nice dinner, and maybe make love to her, if she would allow it. And Kabuto had taken that away from him. Sakura probably would have told him that she was pregnant today, that he was going to be a father. That he'd have a family again. It would've been the best birthday present he could have hoped for. But because of Kabuto, and his _fucking_ poison, that future would forever stay a lost dream.

He gave Aya his bed, and he slept on the couch. The next day everyone moved to the Shio Island Base. Aya stayed with Sasuke, and he kept her safe. Orochimaru tried to turn her into a test subject at one stage, but Sasuke had told Orochimaru that he would kill him if he did.

He missed Sakura terribly, and wanted to see her again, if only for a moment. He spent most of his time planning on how to make Kabuto pay for nearly killing Sakura.

He did not suspect that Kabuto was only a willing pawn, and this suited Karin just fine.

Karin saw Sasuke nearly every day, and every time she did her best to try and seduce him. Her plan failed every time, of course, and she did not understand why. Sakura was dead, what was keeping Sasuke away from her now? He had had time to mourn, and now it was time for him to take her instead. Karin was positive that any moves Sakura could pull in bed, she was more than capable of doing three times better.

But yet, he still threatened to kill her every time she got so much as ten feet before him.

_I think it's time for a bit more research,_ she thought.

* * *

><p>Sakura was sitting in the hospital bed, two days after she was brought 'properly' into Konoha. Naruto was sitting beside her, eating some Ramen that he probably wasn't allowed in the hospital.<p>

"Hey, Sakura, you know that Hinata and I are dating, right?" Naruto said suddenly. Sakura perked up, very surprised.

"No, I didn't, Naruto! Congratulations! That's awesome!" Sakura exclaimed happily. _It took him long enough,_ she thought to herself with a small smile. "I'm so happy for you guys!" She smiled at him. _Hinata must be over the moon!_

Naruto flashed her a foxy grin. "I'm glad that you are happy for us, Sakura Chan. I'm really happy with Hinata. I think I love her."

Sakura's heart soared. This was truly awesome news to her. Her heart started to sink as she started to remember a certain someone…

Naruto couldn't get the smile off his face. "I think that Hinata is a bit worried though. She knows that I use to love you, and that when you disappeared is when I started seeing her differently. I think that she's worried that now you are back, I'm going to stop loving her instead. She hasn't said anything, of course, but I can tell that she's thinking it. Don't get me wrong, she's so happy that you are back and that you're safe, I think she's also just a bit worried."

If Sakura was feeling shocked before, it was nothing compared to how she was feeling now. Naruto? Insightful? WHAT? _Okay Sakura, deep breath, people can change in a few months. Naruto may have just gained a few brain cells since you've been gone. And besides, he's dating Hinata! If anyone can make him smarter, it's Hinata!_ Sakura chuckled. "Oh, Naruto, send Hinata in here. I'll tell her that if you try and leave her for me, I'll shove your dick so far up your arse, you'll choke on it! Oh, and that's a warning for you too, Naruto." She said, before she burst out laughing at the expression on Naruto's face.

"Al… alright Sakura Chan. I wasn't really planning on leaving Hinata Chan, no need to pull out the threats…" His eyes were still wide with fear.

"Naruto, it was a joke. Don't worry." She continued laughing at the pained expression he was giving.

_Bad images!_

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><p><strong>Woo! Or, not woo... Either way, I got the next chapter up, and you've gotta love me for that at least, right? Right? Please say yes... *huddles in corner with tiger blanket and Scooby Doo mug*. Either way, I have to start studying now, because my Music class is making me use this weird contraption they call 'technology'... Be afraid. Be <em>very<em> afraid.**

_**Chapter 20 - Extraordinary Day**_

**_...She felt a disturbance in the night around her, and quickly turned around, ignoring the queasiness that the fast motion gave her... "Whoever is there, show yourself! I won't hesitate to attack unless you comply!" She called._**

**_Nothing. Then…_**

**_"Sakura, put the damn kunai down."..._**

**And now, you're just going to have to wait for the next update, but you see that little blue button down there with the speech bubble next to it? That's like your own personal 'update quicker' button, which must be utilized for the next chapter to come faster XD Tee hee._  
><em>**


	20. Extraordinary Day

**Holy Bazooka's! 22 reviews in one chapter? I think I'm in heaven... Alright, so I didn't update yesterday, but Tuesdays are like my oh-my-gosh-i-have-so-much-crap-going-on-it-isnt-funny day XD But I updated as soon as I could, and so here it is for you :) I hope you like. Oh, there's also some sort of... Half lemon? In this chapter? I don't know how to describe it. Either way, thought I should give you a heads up :)**

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><p><strong>One Month Later<strong>

Sakura wiped her brow of sweat as she left the surgery room. She was incredibly tired, and longed to go back to her apartment, fall back in bed, and go to sleep. She groaned when she saw the clock, feeling her whole body start crying in annoyance.

It was midday.

Mid _freaking_ day.

This had to be some sort of ridiculous joke. She had only been awake for five hours, and she already felt ready to collapse into bed! She went to the coffee machine and made herself a coffee, her fifth that day, before going to her office and filling out some papers regarding the surgery she had just done.

**Gender:** Female.

**Age:** 9.

**Details of Operation:** Removal of Tonsils.

**Name:** Sasaki Aika.

Hang on. Sasaki Aika. That name sounded slightly familiar. Where had she heard it before? Sasaki Aika… Sasaki Aika…

Sakura nearly fell out of her seat with shock. _That's the girl I… Who… SHE WAS WITH DAIKO! What is she doing here, in Konoha? Wow, I _knew_ she looked familiar! _Sakura stood to go and see Aika's guardian. She walked out and down the hall, into the waiting room.

"Who may be the guardian of Sasaki Aika?" Sakura called loudly over the hubbub.

"Hai," a small hand was raised into the air, and Sakura walked towards it. She almost had a heart attack again.

"Ch… Cho?" Sakura stammered. This was just getting too much! Blast From The Past much? She was tempted to look around and see if Kabuto was around, but didn't think that that was likely.

Cho looked up, and looked as shocked as Sakura felt. "Sakura? Is that you?" The girl was speechless! She had heard of _a_ Sakuras return, but she had never figured it to be _this_ Sakura! The Sakura who her brother had tried to rape and kill!

Sakura nodded dumbly.

"Kami! Sakura!" Cho jumped up and embraced the girl. "Sakura, please, please forgive me for selling you that fan, I tried to ask Daiko to not go after you, but he -"

"Daiko?" Sakura asked, confused. It felt like a light bulb turned on in her head. Daiko was the one who had attacked her, all those months ago, in the woods! The one who she had escorted, the one whose cousin was Aika! So Cho had been the cousin that Aika was talking about when she said that she would be taken care of! _It's a small world._ She thought in shock. "Cho, it is alright, I forgive you. I'm presuming that you didn't have much of a choice with him. I'm just glad that Aika and yourself were able to get away from him." Sakura glanced at the boy next to Cho. He looked stunned that the two girls knew each other.

"Hey, Sakura. How do you know Cho and Aika?" Kiba asked. Akamaru barked his concurrence to the question.

"Hey, Kiba. A few months ago, Cho sold me a fan that got me into the whole fiasco of my disappearance." Cho blushed, and continued to say sorry. "But how do you know Cho and Aika, Kiba?" Sakura hadn't missed that Kiba had been holding Cho's hand, and wondered how that had come to be.

"About a week before you returned, Cho and Aika came to Konoha. Naruto recognised them, seeing as he'd asked them questions about your whereabouts and Cho had helped out a bit. Cho and Aika didn't have anywhere to go, so after a bit of discussion, I said that they could stay with me." He said happily. Akamaru barked, and Cho turned an even brighter shade of red.

Sakura smiled at them. Cho looked positively radiant compared to the shy girl she had met back in December. She quickly remembered what she had come out here for in the first place, though. "Oh, um, Aika's operation went off without a hitch. Tonsil removal is really easy, and she should be right to leave tomorrow. You can go in and see her in about an hour, when she starts waking up."

Cho's blush started to recede. "Arigato, Sakura. Would you like to come over for dinner? There is so much to tell, and I'd like to thank you properly for helping Aika."

Sakura thought for a moment. She didn't really know if it was allowed, but she didn't have anything planned for dinner herself, and Cho and her really did have a lot to discuss.

"Deal," Sakura said, a smile on her face. "I'll be there around six?"

* * *

><p>Sasuke flew through the trees at a ridiculous pace. He had tried and tried again and again to forget Sakura, but it was all in vain. He couldn't forget Sakura if his life depended on it. He had to see her again, if only for a moment. He had to make sure she was okay. Sneaking into Konoha would be an easy enough task. Finding Sakura would be slightly more difficult. He could always track her chakra, or maybe send one of his snakes out to track her. It was getting late, and he still had a little way to go. He watched the sun fall behind the hills.<p>

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><p>Sakura sat down at the small wooden table. Two roses were in a little vase, and a white linen spreadsheet was over the table. Sakura loved it. It was so simple, and she was sure that this was probably Cho's doing; Kiba would never be caught dead doing something like this. Cho came out bringing some Sake, with Kiba behind her bringing out a roasted chicken and some salad.<p>

They all dug in to the delicious meal, and when they were well fed and drinking a bit of Sake, Kiba asked for Sakura's story. Sakura dredged up the story Tsunade and herself had put together from the cobwebs of her mind.

"After I was attacked by Daiko, he tried to rape me, and he succeeded in getting my clothes off. He was so preoccupied with what he was doing, I was able to wriggle out of the chakra restraints without being noticed, and I killed all of them. My clothes were too torn to wear, so I left them. I went to the fire, to try and keep warm, but I was kidnapped by mercenaries. They blindfolded me, and I was sold as a slave. The man who held us kept my chakra constantly depleted, so I couldn't do anything. I served under a family, I don't know who, and I don't know where I was. I was eventually able to escape, and came back to Konoha. That's basically it in a nutshell." She took another gulp of Sake. "So, how long have you two been…" She waved her free hand back and forth between the two. Cho blushed crimson, and averted her eyes,

"Sakura, we're not dating," said Kiba seriously.

Sakura was baffled. "Why not? Look, it's obvious that both of you like each other. Not only by the fact that your pupils dilate whenever you look at one another, but also by your body language!" Sakura was more than a bit tipsy now, and was saying whatever she so wanted.

"I don't know how well that would go down with Aika, Sakura." Cho said softly. She really did like Kiba, and Kiba had told her that he liked her. But how would Aika take the news? There were so many things that could go wrong!

"Cho. Listen to me. I was the one who took Aika, your brother and two of his thugs to meet you at Mura. I know Aika! She's a beautiful and sweet and kind little girl! She would want you to be happy! She's also very smart, and it wouldn't surprise me if she had already figured out that you two like each other. Don't you think it would be better for her to come home to two people who really care about each other, instead of waiting for the day that Kiba can't hold either of you anymore?"

Cho and Kiba both took this information in, knowing that deep down, Sakura was right. Cho decided to voice the flaw.

"What if it didn't end well?" She asked, keeping her voice soft.

Sakura had to admit that she hadn't thought of that, but, well, she kind of intoxicated! She was allowed a slip up now and then.

"That is a possibility, but if it didn't work, you'd have to think of the terms by which it could end under. If you end it kindly and cleanly, then you should both be able to remain friends, and make that friendship work for Aika's sake. Both of you have to be responsible! Somehow, I can't see Cho going off and fraternising with someone else, and Kiba, you'd have to not do that too. I think that the both of you could make it work, to be perfectly honest. Whether it stays working is entirely up to you two."

Sakura left at about eleven at night. She had pushed away their insistence to accompany her home, and now she was walking the quiet streets by herself. Sakura decided that she loved Konoha at night time the best. It was so quiet and peaceful, and you could see the stars in all of their shining glory.

She felt a disturbance in the night around her, and quickly turned around, ignoring the queasiness that the fast motion gave her. _I shouldn't have drunk so much,_ she thought, before whipping out a kunai and holding it infront of her body, all of her (intoxicated) senses scanning the area. "Whoever is there, show yourself! I won't hesitate to attack unless you comply!" She called.

Nothing. Then…

"Sakura, put the damn kunai down," said Sasuke, emerging from the darkness, Kusanagi slung over his back.

Sakura rubbed her eyes. "Sasuke?" She asked cautiously. "What are you doing here?" Seriously, what on earth was he doing? He could get caught so easily! She couldn't live with herself if he got captured because of her.

"If you don't want me here, then just tell me to go." He said, clearly affronted at her words. She was so close! All he had to do was reach out, and she would be in the embrace of his arms. But there was an alternative that he hadn't thought of. What if she had moved on? What if she didn't want him anymore? What if there was another? He could feel a tsunami of anger rise up in him at that thought. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that were the case.

"No, wait, that isn't what I mean, Sasuke! I'm just surprised, that's all. That, and a little bit drunk, but don't worry about that part." She gave him a lopsided grin, and hugged him. "Did you miss me?" She asked, suddenly feeling very smiley. Sasuke was back! And he was with her! An ordinary day had suddenly become extraordinary!

"Aa," he replied, and held her close. All of his senses were on high alert, lest someone should see them… Him. "Sakura, is there somewhere we can go where we might not be caught?" He asked her. That, and her touch was driving him crazy. He hadn't realised just how much he had missed her until she was in his arms.

Sakura nodded, and led him to an apartment block. She went up four flights of stairs, and stopped outside a small door. She opened it and walked inside, Sasuke following her. She went to flick on the light switch, but Sasuke stopped her.

"I don't want anyone to be able to look in. If they saw me with you, and reported it, there would be serious consequences for you."

She nodded again, unsure of what to say. There were a thousand things swirling around like a rogue tornado in her head, and yet she couldn't give voice to any of them. She was just so happy that he was here, with her. She held him again, trying to get what she couldn't say across with that action.

Sasuke's mind was going into overdrive. He knew that he should be keeping all of his senses scrounging around, making sure that they were completely alone at all times. But all of his senses were focused solely on the girl infront of him, and how she was making him feel. Her scent washed over him, and it drove him crazy; Lavender and roses, with a hint of vanilla. He couldn't help but respond to how she felt in his arms. She seemed to fit perfectly, as if his body was especially designed to hold hers.

The pure knowledge that they _were_ completely alone didn't help any of his thoughts.

"You never answered my question, Sasuke," Sakura said mischievously. "Did you miss me?" They hadn't exactly parted on the best of terms, and Sakura had regretted that since then.

"Just how much have you had to drink, Sakura?" He asked sceptically. How could she ask something like that?

She shrugged. "About a bottle… Maybe two of Sake. But it's not as bad as Tsunade, I swear!" She started giggling, as if about to tell him something top secret. She lowered her voice to whispering level. "She drinks like a fish… A really, _really_ big fish, or like a… A _turtle_… Who really likes water… But you've gotta pretend that the water is Sake for a moment."

_The alcohol has just kicked in._

"Or maybe even a whale, but Tsunade isn't a whale… Maybe a camel? You know, the desert dudes! Hey yeah! Tsunade's a camel! You know why? Because a camel has these massive humps, and Tsunade has massive boobs, so she's like a camel!" She sounded very proud of herself for coming to this conclusion. "But… A camel can go for _ages_ without a drink… Like, by ages, I mean _days_. So Tsunade isn't really a camel, because she can't go for a few minutes without Sake. Maybe she's a -"

Sasuke had had enough of her rambling, even if it amused him to no end. He kissed her full on the lips, and thankfully this seemed to make her be quiet. He held her close to his body, and Sakura clung to his shirt. She was starting to curse that damned material… No, scrap that. She was starting to curse material. Period.

He tapped her bottom lip with his tongue, and she opened her mouth to let him in. His mind and body was clouded by lust and need and want, and so was hers. Her body felt like it was on fire, and all of that heat was rushing to the place between her legs. He slipped Kusanagi from his shoulder, and her hands went to his shirt and quickly pulled it up over his head, throwing it onto the ground somewhere. Next to go was her shirt, and Sasuke's hands wandered up to her breasts, cupping them over the material of her bra, before going behind and unhooking the bra completely, throwing it onto the ground. He brought her body closer and ran his hands over her back. He brought his hands over to the front of her body and started thumbing her breasts, making her nipples erect and moans ignite in her throat.

Sakura's hands, likewise, were memorising the contours of his chest and torso. She loved the way his muscles rippled under her slightest touch. She brought her hands lower and started to undo his pants, quickly removing the offending article, until he was standing just in his boxers. He quickly copied her actions and removed her skirt. His lips never stopped ravishing hers the whole time.

He couldn't stand it anymore and lifted up her body, holding her between himself and the wall. He started grinding his pelvis against hers, letting her feel his erection. He slipped one of his fingers past her underwear and thumbed her sensitive bundle of nerves, loving the small noises that emitted from her throat.

"Fuck, Sakura, I need you so bad," he rasped, his voice barely more than a growl. He could say more than Sakura though; she couldn't make any form of words pass from her lips. Sasuke slipped his middle finger past her slit, and started to pump her furiously with the digit. With much satisfaction, he felt that she was already completely soaked in that area. After the first finger, a second one quickly followed, then a third, until Sakura couldn't concentrate on his mouth anymore, and instead moaned her passion. Sasuke's lips wandered down her jaw line, down her neck and stopped at her nipple.

"Sasuke… Fuck…" Sakura managed to choke out, hoping that this would make him change from his fingers, not that they weren't already very, _very_ good.

He seemed to get the message and removed his fingers, along with the soaked piece of cloth that hid her treasure. His were next to go, and he quickly filled her with his warmth.

It didn't seem to register in their minds that they hadn't even made it to the bed, yet neither seemed to care. There was nothing but the other person with them, inside of them, and that was all that mattered for that moment in time.

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><p><strong>Yay! Sasuke's back! I had so much fun writing Sakura's 'Tsunade dialogue'. I only wish I'd made it longer, but I'd run out of ideas of what to make Tsunade. A llama? Nah... Elephant? Nah... And a fish isn't big enough... depending on the fish... *continues rambling*<strong>

_**Chapter 21 - Capture**_

_**Genma stood before the Hokage. Her honey eyes were focused intently on what he had to say... "Did you get any leads on it, Genma?"...**_

_**..."Whoever it is, they are at Haruno Sakura's house... I saw their sword as proof."...**_

_**... Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "Order an arrest warrant. I want that person locked up."...**_

**You know what to do if you want the next chapter ASAP XD The future is in your hands, young genin... Olive Juice!**


	21. Capture

**I'm so sorry I didn't update earlier! I was going to update yesterday, but work called me and was like "hey, you do realise you're working tonight, right?" My face = 8O**

**Hey, I wrote a new story the other day, SasuSaku pairing, if you'd like to give it a read and tell me what you think? Ignore the a/n in it, it's just me being peeved and angsty :S And thank you very much to moni - neechan for being the first to review it (the first time it was posted), and adding it to your favourites :) It's really appreciated XD**

**Lemons in this chapter, and other smexy stuff which I'm getting better at writing :D  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I do not (yet) own Naruto. I just have to win the lotto, and buy it off the dude who wrote it who's name I can't remember :P Then I can make Sasuke stop being such butt hole, and make Naruto (finally) fall inlove with Hinata! Yay!**

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><p>Sasuke woke up late the next morning in an unfamiliar bed. Sunlight was streaming through an unfamiliar window and lighting up an unfamiliar room. Infact, the only familiar thing about it was himself… And the pink haired girl lying naked, next to him. <em>So,<em> he thought, _we finally managed to find the bed after all._ He looked down at the girl and she sighed in her sleep. He suddenly had a small idea, and decided to see what would happen if…

He moved his hand down to her breast, and started rolling the nipple between him thumb and forefinger. Sakura started moaning in her sleep at the feeling, and arched her chest into his hand. Sasuke smirked at that, and decided to go even further.

His hand travelled south, and he started running his fingers back and forth along her slit. Sakura whimpered in her sleep, and started moving her pelvis along with his hand. His smirk grew wider, and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, lightly sucking on the skin there. His thumb travelled to the sensitive bundle of nerves, and he started rubbing circles around it, making Sakura gasp, and groan out his name, before opening her legs wider, allowing him more access. Her body was pressed flush against his, making his morning erection grow even harder.

He moved his middle finger, and sunk it into her soft folds, slowly fingering her with it. Sakura groaned at the feeling, and started to rock her hips faster, wanting more of him. He added a second finger, and moved them faster, making Sakura's moans louder. He was so turned on by this stage, it took all of his self restraint to not wake Sakura up and made love to her again. Instead, he added a third finger, and started thumbing her clitoris at the same time, seeing just how far he could take her before she woke. His fingers rode her all the way to her orgasm, and that's what it took to wake her up. Her eyes shot wide open as the feeling of intense pleasure hit, and she cried out his name.

"Holy fuck, Sasuke," she said, trying to calm her breathing. "Couldn't you control yourself until I woke up?" She felt a little violated, because, well… She was _asleep_ for Kami's sake! But at the same time… Damn that had felt so freaking _good_!

"It was an experiment," Sasuke said to her calmly, watching with amusement as she tried (and failed) to be angry at him. "To see if I could get you off while you were asleep or not." Sakura glowered at him, and he smirked back at her. "Apparently I can. Now, it's my turn…" He flipped Sakura onto her back, and moved on top of her, easily sliding inside of her. He started kissing her as his hips started to rock against hers, setting a slow pace. Sakura let out an annoyed moan and flipped him until he was on his back, and she rode him, setting a far faster pace. She groaned as he hit the sweet spot inside of her, over and over again.

Sasuke flipped them over again, and started pumping her, hard and fast, making Sakura gasp at the sensation. He started thumbing her sensitive bundle of nerves again, wanting her to come before himself.

Then…

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Sakura, it's Genma! I need to speak to you for a second." Came a voice from outside her door. Sasuke stopped for a moment, still inside Sakura, unsure of what to do.

"Don't worry, Sasuke. He'll leave in a moment." She rocked her hips against his until he continued. He quickly forgot all about the man at the door, and only concentrated on how close he was to his release. His thrusting started to get erratic, and Sakura started to see white, the knot in her stomach on the verge of snapping. Sasuke put his finger back down to her bundle of nerves, rubbing it furiously, knowing that his release was coming soon, and wanting her to come before himself. Just a few more seconds, a few more thrusts, a few more heated moans, and they'd be there…

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_

"Sakura! Open up! I know you're in there and I have to speak to you! If you don't answer this door by the time I count to five, I'll break down your damn door!"

"Fuck," Sasuke ground past his teeth. They were both _so close!_ One more minute…

"One!" Genma called.

"I think we… We have to… To stop, Sasuke…" Sakura panted, equally annoyed.

"Two!"

"I'll just go and… And get rid of him…" She removed him from herself and tried to stand up. Her legs were so wobbly after her almost second orgasm for that morning that she found it difficult to keep on her feet.

"Three!"

"Fucking hell," Sasuke flopped back onto the pillows, having half a mind to go out there and rip this guy's head off.

"Where is my yukata?" Sakura mumbled to herself, trying to find the material so as to cover herself.

"Four!"

"I'm coming, damn it, Genma! Just give me a minute!" Sakura called out in annoyance. Sasuke grimaced. She should have been saying 'I'm coming!' for a completely different reason at that moment. Sakura located her yukata and fled to the front door, just as Genma started to say five.

"What the hell do you want, Genma?" She snapped.

Genma was lazing idly against the doorframe, smiling as he took in her barely clad figure and mussed hair. _Damn,_ he thought, _she's grown up to be pretty damn hot!_ He looked her over once appreciatively, before an annoyed cough from Sakura brought him back to his senses. "Early this morning, a patrol found faint traces of an unknown Chakra that had crossed the wall. We followed it around town, which was difficult. Whoever it was knew how to hide their Chakra, and if it wasn't for an occasional slight surge of Chakra, we wouldn't have been able to trace it." He said, before Sakura interjected.

"Yeah, that's great, Genma, but it doesn't explain why you had to come and wake me up." She hid her worry behind an annoyed façade, but underneath she was shaking. Had they tracked Sasuke to her place? Was Genma going to search her house? Was he just pulling her leg and trying to get a morning quickie out of her?

"We tracked the Chakra to your apartment, and I've been ordered to search it and make sure that there is no danger here." He said calmly, looking straight into her eyes.

"Genma, if there was someone dangerous in my home, do you honestly think I wouldn't know about it? I think that you're just coming up with lame excuses. Now seriously, would you just piss off and let me have my morning back?" She was more than a bit angry now, and just wanted to get back to Sasuke.

"No can do, Sakura. I've got orders." He showed Sakura a note with the Hokage's signature. "It won't take long, it's just to see if the Chakra is still here, and if not, where it went." And he pushed past her, following the faint traces of Sasuke's Chakra.

"Oi! Genma! Get the fuck out of my apartment! At least give me five minutes or so to get changed!" Genma looked at her, an eyebrow raised, before he backed out of her apartment and let her close the door.

Sakura rushed through her apartment and picked up Sasuke's strewn clothes, before bolting into her room.

"Did you hear all of that?" She whispered to Sasuke, lest Genma should be listening.

Sasuke nodded at her. The whole time he'd been thinking of a way to both lead this Genma away from Sakura's apartment and stay with Sakura. The answer had been simple enough.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Sasuke said softly, and a shadow clone stood next to him. "Put on those clothes," he told it, "and then run from this room as far and fast as you possibly can."

The clone nodded at him, before throwing the clothes on and fleeing from the room, out of the window. Sasuke was surprised that he had been found, but surmised that they probably were only able to track him when he occasionally summoned a snake to go and find Sakura. Sasuke quickly completely repressed his Chakra and looked for a place to hide. Somewhere he hadn't yet been in Sakura's house.

Sakura was dressed by now in a light summer dress. She hissed one word at him: "Kitchen!" He nodded at her, and quickly ran to the kitchen, as Sakura looked over her room, making sure that nothing of Sasuke's had been left lying around, before she went to the front door and opened it again for Genma. He stepped inside, not hesitating, and looked around, following the light traces of Chakra. It led him to the bedroom, where the window was open from the shadow clone. Genma walked towards the window, looking around.

"Alright, Sakura. Whoever was here has left. I've got to follow this Chakra before it disappears, but if you want I could come back later in the day and give you a bit of… Company…" He raised his eyebrows suggestively, and Sakura almost coughed in shock.

"Goodbye, Genma. If you come back here and try to do that or insinuate anything else around me… _ever_… I will punch you into the next century. Out!" She pushed him towards the exit, and slammed the door in his face.

"About time he left," a voice growled in her ear, and Sakura turned to face Sasuke, grinning. "Now where did we leave off?" He asked her, kissing her neck.

"I think it was around here." She shrugged the dress off her shoulders, and he carried her back to her room.

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><p>Gemna stood before the Hokage. Her honey eyes were focused intently on what he had to say. She was terrified that the strange Chakra could have been someone from Orochimaru's base, trying to make Sakura go back. "Did you get any leads on it, Genma?" She asked him. He looked straight at her, no hesitation in his eyes.<p>

"Whoever it is, they are at Haruno Sakura's house. What's more, I think that she knows they are there, and that she is hiding them. It could have easily been a shadow clone of Sakura, or a replacement jutsu to fool us, but either way, whoever it is, they are still at her apartment. I saw their sword as proof."

Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "Order an arrest warrant. I want that person locked up."

"Hai!"

* * *

><p>Sasuke and Sakura were lying on the couch, watching some random movie. It was Sakura's day off, and she was taking full advantage of it.<p>

"Sasuke, how long are you planning to stay in Konoha?" She asked. She knew that he would understand that she wasn't asking him to get out, but more thinking of a plan that could get him away safely.

He shrugged. "Within the next day or two. If I'm gone too long, Orochimaru will come looking for me." She nodded and he started to play with her hair. She was again dressed in the summer dress, incase a repeat happened with Genma. Sasuke had brought extra clothes with him, so that's what he was dressed in now.

"Sasuke, what if someone were to find you here… With me? What would we do?" She didn't want to leave anything to chance, and she wanted to be able to know what to do, even in the most unlikely situation.

Sasuke, it seemed, had already thought of this. "You will pretend to have been under my control; A Hypnotising Jutsu. That way you won't get in trouble for housing me."

Sakura didn't like the plan, but she couldn't think of anything else that would work. Her training as a shinobi had taught her to stick with the best plan that would have the best consequences for the most people. No matter how much she may hate the plans sometimes.

"Hai."

Suddenly, her apartment was chaos. ANBU were everywhere, tearing her away from Sasuke, putting him into Chakra Repressing handcuffs.

"Sasuke!" She screamed, frightened and confused. What was happening? How had they known that Sasuke was here? She thought that she had led them away from her apartment! She managed to catch sight of his face, and he mouthed one word at her. _Plan._

Sakura nodded, tears in her eyes. Reaching into her Cchakra, she dredged up a certain type. One that would knock her unconscious. It was common knowledge that when one is released from a Hypnotising Jutsu, they faint with the sudden rush of being in control of their own bodies again. Now she had to imitate that, for both of their sakes.

She found the power, and fainted.

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><p><strong>Hey, don't look at me like that! It's very simple to leave it there, before you ask. I simply stop writing XD *Gasp*, I just realised that I'm thirteen reviews away from 200 reviews! I never thought I'd get so far, and it's all thanks to you guys! I loveth you XD<strong>

**_Chapter 22 - Darkness_**

**_...Inside, he was seething. He couldn't believe that he had been found! How was that possible? Had Sakura betrayed him?..._**

**_... Sasuke's chest started to hurt, knowing that he had been betrayed by one that he thought he had loved. One he had started to trust..._**

**_... This time, Sasuke didn't fight the voice._**

**_He embraced it._  
><strong>

**I'll update uber early if you guys get me over 200 reviews :) Like, as soon as I get over it, I'll update ASAP. Deal? I seriously love you guys so much :) xox**


	22. Darkness

**HOLY BAJEEBIES YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME! Haha, yeah... You can probably tell that I'm really happy to get over 200 reviews XD Well, I told you I'd give you the next chapter ASAP once I got over 200, so here it is: Chapter 22. Just please don't hunt me down at the end of this chapter *grins nervously before quietly shuffling towards the exit***

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, only this story :)**

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><p>Sasuke sat in his dank cell, watching rats scurry about, looking for an easy meal. He was feeling extremely weak, and he knew that that was the work of the Chakra Repressing Handcuffs.<p>

Inside, he was seething. He couldn't believe that he had been found! How was that possible? Had Sakura betrayed him? There was no way that he, Sasuke Uchiha, could have been caught. He was too good for that. No, it had to be someone on the inside, and Sakura was currently the only suspect. Sasuke Uchiha didn't make mistakes like 'getting caught'. The idea was preposterous. If he was ever caught, it was through no fault of his own, and only because he had wanted to be caught.

But if Sakura had betrayed him, then… Why? How? When? He couldn't answer the Why.

Unless… Was she involved with Genma? That would explain a lot. When Genma came to investigate her home, she could have easily signalled to him that Sasuke was there. Sasuke would never have known. The more Sasuke thought about it, the more sense it made. Genma had offered Sakura his "company", and Sakura had asked him what they should do if he was caught. She still wouldn't add the suffix to his name, so he mustn't mean much to her. She must have been planning his capture all along.

Sasuke's chest started to hurt, knowing that he had been betrayed by one that he thought he had loved. One he had started to trust.

But still, the overall question of Why was there. Why would she betray him? Why would she despise him so much as to want him captured?

_Because she knew that you loved her, fool,_ said the snake like voice in the back of his mind. _Because she wanted to see you suffer. Haven't I told you before? She loves to see you suffer. She loves to see you in pain. Just like Itachi left you in pain for so many years. Haven't you learnt yet? Everyone who you give your heart to loves to leave you suffering._

And this time, Sasuke didn't fight the voice.

He embraced it.

* * *

><p>"Tsunade Sama, please, you have to let him go!" Sakura cried to her mentor. She was so upset that Sasuke had been captured, and that he was now in a cell, like a common criminal.<p>

"It's out of my hands, Sakura. It is up to the Elders now. Go and plead your case with them. You know that if it were up to me, he would be set free."

Sakura hung her head. She knew that it was true. "Has anyone told Naruto yet?" She asked, and Tsunade shook her head. "I'm going to go and tell him." She left the room and soon was standing outside of Naruto's door.

"Naruto!" She called, banging on the door. "Naruto, open up! You'll want to hear this!"

Naruto opened the door, orange jumpsuit in place. "Hey Sakura Chan. What's up? I was just going to go and meet Hinata Chan for some Ramen. You wanna come?" He asked her, his eyes lighting up.

Sakura didn't know how to say what she needed to, so she decided to be blunt. "Naruto, Sasuke's back, and he's in prison."

Naruto stood there, his mouth hanging open in shock. "Teme is… Back?" He finally managed to choke out. His mind was trying desperately to process the news.

"Hai." Sakura said softly. She needed Naruto's help. She needed people to come together to convince the Elders to let him go, and set him free with as minimal charges to his name as possible.

His face suddenly stretched into an impossibly wide grin. "TEME'S BACK!" He bounded through the streets and within a minute was standing infront of Tsunade. "Teme's back! Teme's back! Teme's back!" He kept shouting at her. He seemed incapable of saying anything else, and Tsunade sat there, almost afraid of the boy infront of her.

"Teme's back, Baa Chan! He's back and -"

"And he's in prison." Sakura had finally caught up to Naruto, and she broke the news quickly, hoping to get through to him before he broke something.

Unfortunately at that news, he looked ready to break some_one_. "He's WHAT?" He screamed at her.

"He's in prison, Naruto. I need your help to get him out. And no, that doesn't mean 'Break him out', it means 'Convince the Elders to let him go.'" She looked at him imploringly. "We can set up a good case for him, Naruto. We need as many people as possible to vouch for him."

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><p>"Did you want me to come down with you, Ms Haruno?" Asked the jailer, opening the heavy door for her.<p>

"No thanks, there's no need." She smiled at him reassuringly, and made her way down the stairs and into the corridor. It was filled with flickering lights, which barely chased away the lingering shadows. The darkness down in the cells seemed unnatural. Complete. It almost felt alive. Writhing in a passionately deadly dance.

Sakura made her way past numerous cells. She could hear groaning, moans like the undead, calling for her with wordless whispers. Her flesh broke into goosebumps, and she walked faster. She had finally convinced Tsunade to let her see Sasuke. It had taken a few days, but she needed to see him, tell him that she would get him out, even if she died trying. She finally came to the last cell and inserted the key into the lock, opening the door.

"Sasuke?" She called softly, but received no reply. "Sasuke? It's me, Sakura." She walked carefully into the cell, senses alert. She couldn't sense him, and that unnerved her. She turned around and locked the door, slipping the key into her bra; the safest place to keep it on her at that time. If he tried to take it, she'd know right away. She branched out her Chakra, calling for his, waiting for him to respond. But there was nothing. Only darkness that could ensnare the very soul. Murmurs, promises of insanity, begging her to give in.

"Why did you come here?" A voice echoed in the dark. Sakura could tell it was Sasuke's, but it sounded different. Darker. As if all the life that once resided there had been consumed by a depthless abyss.

"What do you mean? I came here to see you!"

She felt a presence behind her, and she turned quickly. As soon as she felt the presence, the disturbance in the dark, it was gone, and she was looking at a blank wall. "Sasuke? Where are you?" She started to feel afraid, but quickly pushed the fear down. He wouldn't hurt her, of that she was sure.

"I'm here, Sakura," his voice whispered in her right ear. She turned to that direction, but couldn't see anything.

"Here…" The voice was behind her, and she turned around again.

Nothing.

"Here…" To her left.

Nothing.

"Come to me, Sakura. Let me hold you. Let me feel your tongue explore every inch of my body." Sakura felt a tongue sliding up her neck, leaving a trail of gleaming saliva. She turned, but was only met with darkness.

A shiver went up Sakura's spine, and she thought she felt a finger running up her back.

"Sasuke, what are you talking about?" She was really feeling afraid now. She couldn't see anything. There was almost nothing but Sasuke's voice. Only that, and the writhing cesspool of screaming souls, begging to be released from the clutches of sanity. She could feel them, gnawing at her being, like starving rodents, whispering spite filled promises of an insane reality. Coercing her to allow herself to curl up in the numbing embrace of madness. Oblivion. The dark recesses of the mind, that which is only reserved for when all life is lost, when the foul stench in the air has turned to mouthless mutters, giving promises and threats of a safe insanity.

"You are not with me anymore, Sakura. You will not harm me again."

She felt tears in her eyes. "Sasuke, stop. You're frightening me," she choked. What had come over him? Why was he acting like this?

"Come now, Sakura. Don't you like my game?" His voice seemed to dance around her, like a shadow in a dark room. He was everywhere and nowhere. Next to her, inside of her, and on the other side of the earth. Mingling with madness, tasting it, feeding from it, pushing it away, living with it. Existing in a maelstrom of insanity. Sakura could feel it clinging to the walls like mould, drifting in the air like a foul odour. She was so frightened. She could feel her fear rippling through her body, and she knew that he would be able to sense it. She knew that he was feeding from it, breathing it in, as if it were his new lifeblood.

"Sasuke, please, stop this." She could feel his presence swirling around her, breathing in her fear.

"Sasuke, please… Come back to me. I'm sorry if I've hurt you. Don't do this. Don't fall into despair. I'll get you out of here. I'll get you out or I'll die trying. Don't give up now. Don't give up on me. Don't give up on us." Tears were streaming from her eyes and falling down her face. She didn't know what to do. What was going on? What had come over him?

The darkness halted in its dance for a moment, hesitating, before resuming, more frantic than before.

"Lies, Sakura. All you tell me are lies…" He hissed through the shadows. "I'm sick of your lies, Sakura. You will lie to me no more."

She only sensed him when it was too late. His hands were in a chokehold around her throat, and a small light, almost like a candle light, danced and licked around his eyes. A small break in the darkness. She was pushed up against the wall. Sasuke's face was morphed into a grimace, his features almost snakelike. Only his eyes showed a fleeting trace of sanity. It was barely there, a shadow of a ghost, but it sparked, screaming at her to save him. The air was pushed from her lungs, and she started to choke, heaving for oxygen that wouldn't come.

"Stop lying to me, Sakura. Stop. Now." His grip tightened around her throat. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head, and she berated herself as more tears escaped. Hadn't she promised herself that she wouldn't cry anymore? She was so angry with herself that she couldn't raise her hand to get him off her. She was perfectly capable, but she didn't want to fuel his hatred. She loved him too much.

"Sasuke…" She choked. Her eyes started to flicker, and the edges of her vision started to fade. She knew that she was about to die. There was no way out of the situation. Sasuke had finally given into insanity, and he seemed hell bent on killing her. But she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of believing that she was a liar. "Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…" Her world went black.

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><p><strong>Teeheehee... Oh I'm evil, what with my annoying cliffhangers and constantly screwing around with the plot, but deep down you still love me, right? Right? I probably should have said this earlier, but I forgot to, so I'm going to say it now: I come from Australia, so some of the words I spell are different to the American spelling, and I don't particularly want to change it. So instead of spelling words like 'mom', 'color', 'realize', apologize', 'favor', etc, I spell them 'mum', 'colour', 'realise', apologise', 'favour', etc. So while many of you will probably be like 'this chick has horrible spelling', in Australia, it's the proper way to spell them :) Just so you know. Anyways, I've rambled on long enough, and you want that preview, don't you?<strong>

**_Chapter 23 - Voices_**

**_...Kill her. It's very simple, Sasuke. She's not dead yet. Her words are lies, Sasuke. All lies. She doesn't care for you, Sasuke. She wants to hurt you, Sasuke. She's lying to you, Sasuke. Kill her, Sasuke. She's almost dead Sasuke. Just a little more, Sasuke..._**

**..._"Sasuke... Kun... I... I love... You..."..._**

**You know you want to use your little Update Quicker Button, don't you? XD  
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	23. Voices

**Wow. For once in my life, I'm speechless... Just... wow. I got 53 reviews in... what? 2 days? And 27 for the last chapter! I don't think I can say thank you enough, and the best I can do is give you the next update. I'll stop talking now, and let you read this chapter :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, only this story :D**_  
><em>

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><p><em>Kill her.<em>

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_Kill her._

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_It's very simple, Sasuke._

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_She's not dead yet._

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_Her words are lies, Sasuke._

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_All lies._

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_She doesn't care for you, Sasuke._

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_She wants to hurt you, Sasuke._

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_She's lying to you, Sasuke._

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_Kill her, Sasuke._

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_She's almost dead, Sasuke._

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_Just a little more, Sasuke._

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_Kill her, Sasuke._

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_Kill her, Sasuke._

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_Kill her._

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_Kill her._

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**_Kill her!_**

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"Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…"

He dropped to his knees, head in his hands.

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_Kill her, Sasuke._

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_Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…_

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_Don't stop! Kill her!_

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_Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…_

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_Do you want to be weak, Sasuke?_

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_Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…_

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"I'm not weak…"

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_Then prove it. Kill her._

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_Sasuke… Kun… I… I love… You…_

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_You are weak, Sasuke._

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"I'm strong enough to overcome your hold on me."

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><p>Sakura's eyes slowly opened to see Sasuke sitting across the other side of the room. She rubbed her neck, feeling the pain there and knowing there would be a bruise.<p>

"Sasuke?" She asked, and saw him wince.

"Why won't you add the suffix? Do I mean that little to you?" His voice was soft, breaking. Sakura didn't know what to say. Why didn't she ever add the suffix to the end of his name?

"Because I'm afraid." She whispered.

"Why?"

Sakura worded her next sentence carefully. "The last time I did, it hurt me so much. I'm afraid of being hurt again."

Sasuke shook his head. "The last time you did was just then. I think it saved us both."

Sakura looked at him, her eyes wide.

"Please, don't leave my name as just Sasuke again. Help me believe that I mean something to you."

Sakura slowly moved towards him, making her actions very deliberate, so as not to frighten him. His eyes watched her intently, ready to react to the slightest false move.

She managed to be crouching before him, sitting with her feet tucked under her thighs. She lifted her hand, and ran a light finger down his cheek. He flinched at first at the contact, before closing his eyes and giving into it.

"Did you mean it before?" He asked her. His voice barely masked his emotional turmoil. "When you said that you… You loved me?" He opened his eyes and saw her nodding.

"I meant it with every fibre of my being, Sasuke K… Sasuke Kun. I love you." She smiled softly for him.

"How can you love me when all I ever do is hurt you?" His mind was a mess, barely managing to clutch onto sanity. Sakura was his only life line, and he was so afraid that she would let him go. She was all that was stopping him from falling into the bottomless abyss known as madness. Her smallest action could make or break him, and he knew that she was well aware of that. "Sakura, I… I love you, more than life itself. More than the air I breathe. I keep hurting you, and it kills me on the inside. I don't understand why or how you could love me in return for all the harm I've done to you. It doesn't make sense. I know you are afraid of me, and I don't blame you for it. I wouldn't blame you if you hated me. In fact, I almost expect it. I hardly deserve your love. Not after everything I've done to you. And yet, I'm selfish. I don't deserve your love, but I can't get enough of it. I'm just so… So af…" He took a deep breath. "So afraid… that you'll stop loving me one day, and I don't know how to convince myself that you won't." In truth, he couldn't convince himself that she wouldn't stop loving him, because with all he had done to her, she had every right to leave him and stop loving him. To hate him.

"Then let me prove it." She leant forward, slowly, keeping her eyes focused on his. In the last moment, before her lips touched his, she closed her eyes. Her lips lightly brushed the top of his, hesitant, waiting for his rebuff.

It didn't come.

His eyes closed and he slowly returned her kiss. His hand came up and cupped her cheek, bringing her closer. He could feel her love radiating through her kiss, through her breath, through her heartbeat, which he could feel jumping under his fingertips, and that was all he needed to convince himself. There was no darkness anymore.

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><p>Sakura walked before the Elders, confident in her stride.<p>

"My revered Elders, I stand before you today to plead my case for Uchiha Sasuke's life and place in this town. This starts back in December, when I was first kidnapped. All of you have no doubt heard of this, and when I first came back to Konoha, there were a few details I was not at liberty to release. The first is that Uchiha Sasuke was the one who rescued me from Daiko's gang. The second is that he is the one who had saved me from where I was held prisoner. I did not give this information as I had given my word to him. He did not want to be found by Konoha nins, and in gratitude, I promised him to keep his part of my rescue out of my story. So for starters, Uchiha Sasuke has rescued one of your best shinobi. Twice.

"Uchiha Sasuke has also killed three S rank criminals, two of whom were members of the Akutski. The first, his brother: Uchiha Itachi. As you are no doubt aware, Itachi was responsible for the destruction of the Uchiha Clan. Sasuke killed him, with great risk to his life. The second was Deidara, who was responsible for the kidnap of the current Kazekage, Subaku no Gaara. Diedara has put nins from Konoha in danger. For example, Uzumaki Naruto and Hatake Kakashi. He had killed many people, and Sasuke killed him, putting his life at great risk in the process. The third was Orochimaru, who tried to take over Konoha seven years ago, and also killed the third Hokage. Orochimaru conducted disturbing and inhumane experiments on many people in his quest for power and immortality. Sasuke killed him. Yes, we know that Orochimaru has since been brought back to life, but his lust for destruction and immortality has been subdued because Sasuke has been able to keep him under control. As you are all aware, all three of these men were highly dangerous criminals, and Sasuke eradicated two of them and subdued the third from this world, effectively saving countless lives that would have otherwise have been lost.

"Uchiha Sasuke is also the sole survivor of the Uchiha Clan. If you get rid of him, you will have effectively wiped out the last of a powerful bloodline, one who would be vital for Konoha's safety. Uchiha Sasuke is a very important part of Konoha, and the amount of contributions that he has made to Konoha gives him the right to be named a citizen and even a hero of Konoha."

Sakura sat down, hoping that her case would have swayed the Elders. They had eventually decided on Sakura to present the case, as Tsunade was on the jury, Kakashi wouldn't remove his mask to swear to tell the truth, and Naruto would probably let his emotions get in the way of his speech and attack the jury. Sakura was the only one who was close enough to Sasuke to present a case from a personal relations point of view, and could swear truth while showing her whole face.

One of the Elders stood up slowly, and walked to stand in front of Sakura.

"Uchiha Sasuke did indeed kill three dangerous criminals, not for selfless, but for selfish reasons. He killed Orochimaru because he believed that Orochimaru couldn't offer him more power. He killed Diedara to test his own strength, and he killed Itachi in revenge.

"Uchiha Sasuke is known for being impulsive, violent, destructive and arrogant. He has threatened Konohas safety and the safety of its citizens countless times. I believe that I would be right in saying that he has tried to kill you twice. Would that be correct?" He asked Sakura that, and she glared at him.

"A yes, I take it? Sasuke left this village when he was a boy, abandoning Konoha in the name of power. That makes him no better than Orochimaru. Uchiha Sasuke could have easily given Orochimaru and many others information regarding Konohagakure that could potentially put us in danger! He has threatened us, and continues to threaten us while he still lives! Damn his bloodline, I say! We are better off without such bloodthirsty people so close to us! Uchiha Sasuke will bring calamity and anarchy to Konoha if we set him free! His crimes, not only to the village, but also to all of the united lands in general, far outweigh any arguments that may be redeeming. We must rid ourselves of the menace Uchiha Sasuke, lest Konoha spend the rest of its time regretting our failure to act! I propose the ultimate punishment for this demon:

"Death."

Sakura sat nervously at her bench as the jury thought over both cases. She was sure that she had presented a powerful case, but that was in front of many of the people that would have originally ordered Itachi to destroy the Uchihas! Why would they change their minds now? She felt sick, and looked around desperately for a bathroom. Naruto was sitting on her left, fidgeting like crazy, and Kakashi was on her right; not displaying any signs of unease through his actions, but Sakura could tell that he was terrified. Many of their friends were seated behind them: Ino, Sai, Yamato, Lee, Ten Ten, Neji, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, just to name a few. None of them wanted Sasuke dead. None of them wanted to watch him die.

The jury stopped muttering and turned to look straight ahead.

"We are ready to vote." An old man wheezed from his seat.

"All those in favour of life, raise your hands," a man with blonde hair and grey eyes said. Around half of the jury raised their hands, and Sakura quickly counted them.

Four hands were in the air.

"All those in favour of death, raise your hand." Sakura counted those hands and could have wept.

Five hands.

Death.

**xXx**

The same old man stood. To Sakura, it seemed in slow motion.

"We, the jury, have discussed. Our decision is death by lethal injection. Time, in three weeks."

Sakura lowered her eyes. She had failed him.

* * *

><p><strong>Three Weeks Later<strong>

Naruto walked out of Sasuke's cell, tears in his eyes.

"How could they do this, Sakura Chan? We only just got him back, and now we are going to lose him again!" He quickly walked away from the cell, probably to the comfort of Hinata.

Sakura slowly entered the cell to see Sasuke sitting on his bed, staring into space.

"Sasuke Kun?" She asked quietly, sitting beside him. "I'm so sorry, we tried everything we could. Tsunade was on the jury even! She voted life for you, and she was crying when they announced their decision. Sasuke Kun, I did everything I could. Please forgive me, it just wasn't enough." She had tears in her eyes, but refused to let them fall. _I will not cry_.

"Sakura, it's alright. I don't blame you." He held her tight against him, and Sakura took comfort in his embrace. She wished that the moment could last forever.

"There's just one thing I regret, Sakura," he said to her quietly, his voice void of emotion. "I regret not fulfilling my last goal. Restoring my clan. Being able to see the next generation of Uchiha's is a sight I'll never be able to see. I'll regret that."

Sakura looked up at him, her eyes wide. "You might not have failed, Sasuke Kun. I think I might be with child again. Yours." She hadn't done a test yet, but she was late in her monthly cycle.

Sasuke's eyes widened in wonder and his hand darted to her stomach. "Take could care of them for me. Let her or him know how much I love them. I know that you will raise them to be fine shinobi." They stayed like that for a long time, wishing that the next day would never come.

But come it did. They watched the sun slither over the horizon and flinched when it fell onto the floor.

"Don't be afraid, Sakura. I'm not." Sasuke whispered to her, savouring every single piece of that point in time.

"I'm not afraid, I just don't want to face the future without you," she murmured back to him.

Sasuke clutched her tighter to himself. "Sakura, I need you to promise me that you will move on. That you won't spend the rest of your life alone. Please, _please_ be happy. I couldn't stand it, knowing that you would be sad purely because I'm no longer there. Promise me that you'll find someone, and that you'll be happy with them."

Sakura looked at him, her eyes glazed. How could she promise him that? He returned her gaze, his eyes smouldering.

"If you refuse to find happiness, then I promise that I'll haunt the shit out of you."

Sakura managed a small smile at his attempt at humour. "I promise I'll try my hardest to be happy. Just don't start haunting me if it doesn't happen immediately."

They heard footsteps, and waited with battered breath when they stopped in front of the door. The door opened.

"Uchiha Sasuke, come with me," said a burly man. He didn't seem surprised by the position in which he found the two. Either that or he didn't care. Sasuke nodded and stood, kissing Sakura on the forehead.

"Live for me. I love you," he told her quietly so that the jailer wouldn't hear them, before brushing his lips over hers, praying that she would understand just how much he loved her with that simple display of affection.

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><p>Sasuke sat on the chair, eyes closed. He was scared, but he wouldn't be caught dead admitting that. Strangely, he felt at peace. He had broken free of his inner demons. He had found love. He had found life. That's all he had needed.<p>

He heard someone step into the room, and felt them walk towards him.

He could smell the poison.

The person stepped closer towards him, and squirted the needle a bit.

He felt them hold his arm, and he felt the needle poke through the delicate skin.

He took a deep breath, relishing the sweetness of the air, the taste on his mouth.

_Sakura,_ he thought. _Sakura, be safe. Be happy. I love you._

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><p><strong>Oh I just love cliff hangers... Especially when I know what's going to happen XD Otherwise, in general, I hate them just as much as the next person :P<strong>

**Just thought I should let you know that all up there are 27 chapters in this story. So you guys do the math, because I can't be bothered, and know that this story will come to an end soon :'( *cries***

**_Chapter 24 - Fight  
><em>**

**_...So here Sakura was, feeling more alone now than ever. Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet started to quake. She looked up in shock, and saw that all of the shops and buildings were shaking..._**

**_...She ran to the main gates, before coming to a standstill..._**

**_...He pointed towards the forest, so that's where Sakura's eyes spun. What she saw horrified her to no end. It was a sight she had hoped to never see again..._**

**Oh, random fact, if you type 'Uchiha' into Microsoft Word, the first option is 'Chihuaha'. I can't tell you how hard I laughed at that. So, in Microsoft terms, Sasuke's name is Sapsucker Chihuaha. BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyways, time to utilise your UQB (Update Quicker Button) XD_  
><em>**


	24. Fight

**And to think, two months ago I started to post this story, and two months before that, I started to write it... 2 month posting anniversary!  
><strong>

**Before you kill me about the Sasuke cliff hanger, I suggest you read this chapter, so I'll let you do just that :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this story :D**

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><p>Sakura was sitting outside of the jail, fighting a losing battle with her tears. She had begged to be allowed to sit with Sasuke, but the Elders would not hear of it. 'You would try and set him free!' they had squawked, so here Sakura was, feeling more alone now than ever. Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet started to quake. She looked up in shock, and saw that all of the shops and buildings were shaking.<p>

_An earthquake? There hasn't been an earthquake here for over five hundred years!_ She thought, before standing up and trying to find the source of the commotion. Villagers were running everywhere, screaming, but Sakura could see a general pattern: They were trying to get away from the main gates. That was weird. Why would they be trying to get away from the gates? Could they have collapsed? No, those gates were built to withstand a huge invasion! They wouldn't crumble at earth tremors.

Sakura grabbed one of the passing citizens, hoping to get some answers from him. "What's going on?" She shouted over the din. The tremor was lasting an unusually long time, and Sakura was starting to sense foul play. Plus, instead of getting less and less, the earth was shaking more and more violently with each passing second. She was finding it hard to stand because the ground was shaking so much!

The man just looked at her, fear in his eyes, before he ran away, screaming.

_What is going on?_

She ran to the main gates, before coming to a standstill. She saw a passing nin and recognised him as Genma. A flash of anger went through her body, before she repressed it. Her feelings were not important in a situation like this.

"What's happening?" She shouted at him, hoping he had heard her.

He obviously had, because he replied to her question. "See for yourself!" He pointed towards the forest, so that's where Sakura's eyes spun. What she saw horrified her to no end. It was a sight she had hoped to never see again.

_Sasuke_… She set a beeline for the prison. Some of the more unstable buildings were starting to crumble, so Sakura carefully weaved her way between them. Looking at her watch, she realised that it would be a race against time to get to the prison before he would take his last breath. She sped forward, a couple of stray pieces of masonry scraping her arms.

She finally made it back to the prison and gathered Chakra to her fists, punching the doors in. She ran through the prison, scanning for his Chakra signal. She found it in a small room right at the back. She punched the steel doors in and sent them flying into the room. There was Sasuke, his eyes closed, the needle in his arm.

"If you inject him with that shit, I will stick that needle into your neck and inject your bloodstream with an air bubble! Get the _fuck_ away from him!" The poor man quickly stepped back from Sasuke, who opened his eyes.

"Sakura? What's going on?" He seemed confused.

Sakura walked up to him and ripped the straps that were holding him down off. "Orochimaru is here." She didn't need to say anything else before Sasuke was running towards the front gates. Sakura watched him go, before running further into the jail. There was something she needed to do.

Sasuke reached the gates quickly to see all of the shinobi in Konoha trying to force Orochimaru and three giant white snakes back. He was horrified. How had Orochimaru found him? Why was he here? He had to applaud the perverts timing, though. A few more minutes and Sasuke wouldn't be breathing. But still, he had to get Orochimaru away from Konoha. He couldn't risk Sakura's life, and the possible life that she could be carrying.

"Orochimaru!" Sasuke roared at the pale man. "Get away from here!" He jumped on top of the gate and stood before Orochimaru and his snakes. Orochimaru caught sight of Sasuke, and started to laugh manically.

"But Sasuke San, I came back for you," he said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"Don't you think that if I wanted to go back to you, I would have already? Get the fuck away from me, Orochimaru!" Sasuke yelled at him. He wanted Orochimaru gone. Out of his life. That man was responsible for a large part of Sasuke's darkness, and Sasuke wanted no more of it. All he wanted was to spend a while with Sakura, hold her in his arms. Buy a house somewhere secluded and raise a family. If that meant he would have to stay in Konoha, he would do it. He would do anything to stay with her. Wherever she was, that's where he belonged too.

"You don't have a choice here, Sasuke San. Come back with me and I will leave Konoha in decipherable pieces." Threat entered Orochimaru's voice and malice slipped into his eyes.

"I'd rather die," Sasuke spat at him.

Orochimaru sighed. He had feared that it would come to this. He hadn't truly believed that it would, but he had thrown every available option around in his mind. This was his Worst Case Scenario that he had foreseen, and unfortunately it had come to pass. "Come now, Sasuke San. You don't honestly think that I would let you beat me again? While you've been blinded by your own brilliance, I've been building up my own strength. You can't hope to win against me, Sasuke," he hissed.

Sakura suddenly appeared at Sasuke's side, Kusanagi in her right hand, a pouch of kunai, shuriken, explosive tags and other necessities in her left hand. Naruto and Kakashi appeared on her other side. "I thought you might like this." She gave him the sword and pouch, and he smiled at her.

"Naruto, Kakashi, Orochimaru is mine. I've killed him once, I can do it again. I need you to stop anything from getting in my way." Naruto and Kakashi nodded at him. Sasuke's eyes bled red, and he jumped up to Orochimaru.

"I'll give you one last warning, Orochimaru. Surrender, and I won't kill you." Orochimaru laughed at him and Sasuke took his stance. He took in a deep breath, and quickly formed a game plan. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu!" A series of fireballs were flung at Orochimaru. Orochimaru disappeared in a cloud of smoke and appeared behind Sasuke. He licked Sasuke's cheek, chuckling, before stabbing Sasuke in the back. A Replacement Jutsu was revealed, and Orochimaru looked around himself quickly, trying to see the raven haired man.

Sasuke was hiding in some foliage, carefully weaving some wire around Orochimaru. He pulled the wire tight, trapping Orochimaru, before sending fire down it. Orochimaru went up in a ball of flames. Sasuke's eyes stayed red, knowing that Orochimaru hadn't stopped fighting yet. A puddle of grey sludge moved away from the flames, before rising up and forming back into Orochimaru.

With a couple of quick hand seals, thousands of white snakes had formed a dome around Orochimaru, allowing nobody in.

And nobody out.

Sasuke appeared behind Orochimaru. "Game's over, Orochimaru." He stabbed him with Kusanagi, and the wall of white snakes fell, disintegrating into ash. Sasuke let his eyes fade back to their usual colour, and he turned, smiling slightly at Sakura. Orochimaru had been even easier to beat than last time, which surprised Sasuke. He supposed that Orochimaru's speech had been all talk. He did wonder, though, why the three giant snakes were still there…

"SAKURA! GET OUT OF HERE!"

"Are you talking to this little pink haired girl, Sasuke San?" Orochimaru said, holding a kunai to Sakura's throat. "She looks familiar, ne? Isn't she the one who died, Sasuke San? She has a habit of surviving. Maybe I should make sure that this time, she definitely won't come back." Sakura gulped and could feel the cool metal brushing against her skin. But she had more than just her life at stake this time, and now she could do something to save both of them.

"Get the fuck off me, snake." She hissed, grabbing a kunai and stabbing Orochimaru's side. Orochimaru staggered backwards and started laughing, blood dripping down his tunic.

"Nice try, my pretty." In the blink of an eye the blood was gone, and Sakura puffed to Sasuke's side.

"Are you alright?" Sasuke asked her quickly, catching her in his embrace, and planting his lips over hers in a quick kiss, before letting her go. Sakura swiped a small drop of blood off her neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How are we going to kill him?" She asked him, ready for anything Orochimaru had to throw at them.

"_We_ are not doing anything, Sakura. It's up to _me_ to kill him," he said sternly. Sakura looked at him angrily, but knew better than to argue with him when he used that tone of voice. "Get away from here, Sakura. I won't let you get hurt." Sakura nodded at him and went to stand with Naruto and Kakashi, who were helping to keep a few of Orochimaru's mutated minions away from the Konoha gates. Sasuke did a quick hand seal, before…

Orochimaru slithered up behind Sasuke, and quickly bound him with snakes. "I told you that you couldn't beat me, Sasuke San. I don't want to have to kill you, and I won't if you come back with me." He had finally caught the brat, and he wouldn't let his chance slip. After so many years, he would finally be able to take Sasuke's body as his own, and attain the Sharingan.

"Nice try, Orochimaru," Said Sasuke from behind the pale man, before sending a wave of Chidori down Kusanagi and stabbing it through Orochimaru's heart. Orochimaru's eyes flew open, and he looked down at the sword edge protruding from his chest. Blood was running off the end of the steel. The shadow clone that had been trapped by the snakes poofed into oblivion.

Orochimaru spat out a glob of glistening blood onto the ground, then started cackling. "See you on the other side, Sasuke San…" He collapsed, still laughing like a maniac. Blood was running down his chin and chest, staining his tunic red. The three giant snakes let out a painful, high pitched cry, before disintegrating.

Sakura came back to Sasuke's side and slid her hand in his. "What are we going to do with him?" She asked.

"I suppose that we should just leave him here, let Konoha dispose of him as they wish." Sakura agreed with this, but looked at Sasuke, worried.

"Sasuke Kun, what are you going to do now?" Sasuke knew what she meant. Should he stay here? Risk death? Or go back to Orochimaru's base? Never see Sakura, never be able to stay with her, never be able to raise a potential family? Now that Orochimaru was finally dead (and for good this time), many of Orochimaru's followers would be going crazy without a leader. And Sasuke still hadn't killed Kabuto…

"I have to go back, Sakura. Just for a while. I have to remove anyone who would be a risk to the general public. But I don't know what I'm going to do after that." He would think about it on the way to Shio Island. He didn't want to die, but he didn't want to leave Sakura. He knew that asking her to leave Konoha would be too much. They'd have to live their lives as outcasts. That's not the life he'd want for his family.

"I'm coming with you Sasuke. Don't you dare try and convince me otherwise, I'll just follow you." Sasuke opened his mouth to argue with her, but quickly shut it with the glare she was giving him.

"Sakura, what about our child?" He asked her softly, so that no one would hear him. He couldn't risk their baby. He had already lost his first, and that would haunt him forever more. But to lose his second child? He'd rather die a thousand times than go through that again.

Sakura looked at him kindly. "Let me worry about that. I won't let anything happen to them."

Sasuke looked her in the eyes, and he had no choice but to trust her. "We leave tomorrow at dawn."

* * *

><p>It was nearing midnight when Karin was creeping around the base. Sasuke hadn't returned, nor had Orochimaru sent word. It was time to take things into her own hands, and figure out why Sasuke had not come back. She could sense a foreign energy from inside Sasuke's room, and became extremely curious. Who was in Sasuke's room?<p>

Karin slowly opened the door, looking around. The energy was coming from the bed, so that's where she went.

What she saw made anger bubble like poisonous tar in her veins.

There was a girl in Sasuke's bed. A very pretty girl.

Karin seethed. So this was why Sasuke had refused her advances! He had another whore to satisfy him! Someone else had taken Karin's rightful place in Sasuke's bed. Again. Karin's mind whirled. Just what did these girls have that Karin lacked? They were far too young to know every way to properly please a man, and Karin had much experience in that area. Hell, Sasuke had already had a taste of her, and the treats she could offer! Why wasn't he on Karin's doorstep, begging for more? Any sane man would be!

But the dilemma still remained: How to get Sasuke into her bed and away from these sluts? Her mind came to the only conclusion that it was capable of understanding.

Eliminate the competition. Karin planned on doing just that.

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><p><strong>After all the crap I've made my characters go through, you don't honestly think I'd kill one off, do you? *grins evilly* Oh, with the air bubble in the blood stream... Let's just say that it's a really <em>really<em> painful way to die :)**

**Woot woot! 20 reviews away from 300! I didn't think I'd get there that quick after having only recently gotten to 200, but there you go XD And I have only you guys to thank. So... Thank you!**

**Ohmygosh, only three chapters to go! I'm feeling so sad right now :(**

_**Chapter 25 - Behind the Lies**_

**_...Sasuke raced around Kabuto, concealing himself in darkness. He wanted Kabuto to feel afraid, he wanted him to be drowning in fear as he slowly died. For that, Sasuke would need to immerse himself in the darkness that once possessed him..._**

**_...The faulty light spluttered above their heads, and Kabuto turned around and around constantly, following Sasuke's voice as it called out his name..._**

**_... He was about to use his Sharingan... When a scream met his ears...  
><em>**


	25. Behind the Lies

**I was going to update yesterday, but my mum was all like "I have to study." So me = "bugger". So I'm updating today instead. Pretty happy today. This story is on 3 C2's! *Grins manically* And then I'm one review away from 300, to which I'm a cross of ridiculously anxious and ridiculously happy that I have that many reviews for this story, and I now have a Beta profile thingy, so I can be a grammar freak now and get away with it XD **

**I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed, whether it's been just once or many many multiple times. A few of you say "I hope this meets your standard of review" or "I know that this review isn't good enough," but you're _wrong_, because they _are_ fantastically brilliant, and whenever someone says that they love my writing or that they think I should be an author, it automatically makes my day just that much better (oh, and I don't have any review standards, except a big NO NO to flamers.) The ones with constructive criticism make me aware of what I'm doing wrong, where I should research a bit more, and I really love that kind of thing, so unless you're going to flame, tell me whatever you want about this story, even if it's to threaten me with death or turn me into a...Corn dog with extra tomato sauce, if I remember rightly (that made me laugh so hard, btw), because the death threats are pretty much always in good humour and make me laugh my butt off (which is great during class.). So yes. I thought a long winded soliloquy of gratitude would be a good way to start this chapter :D  
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><p>At dawn, Sasuke and Sakura flew out of Konoha and towards Crescent Moon Island. It was usually a two day journey, but they had brought some soldier pills with them. They were sure they could get it down to eighteen hours. They ran in a comfortable silence. Sakura knew that Sasuke was thinking hard about what he had to do. He knew that if he went back to Konoha, he could very well be put to death again. But then again, he had saved Konoha from destruction. That would put up a very good case for his name, and if he was put to death a second time, there would be a huge outcry from a lot of the public.<p>

They made is to Crescent Moon Island in nineteen hours. (They hadn't thought about the whole 'Getting Across the Stretch of Water', and so therefore hadn't included it in their calculations.) Sasuke walked along the shore underneath the moonlight. He was looking for the small boat which would take them directly to Shio Island. It was hidden underneath some ferns, which he brushed aside, before putting it into the water.

Sakura stepped carefully up to the boat. "Is it safe, Sasuke Kun?" She asked. The boat looked centuries old, and she felt that swimming to Shio Island through shark infested waters would get her there safer than on that boat.

Sasuke looked at her reassuringly. "The boat is perfectly safe, Sakura. It has a genjutsu over it, so that when people see it they don't try to use it." Sakura nodded, understanding the need for precaution. They got into the boat and set sail for Shio Island.

It took another hour for the boat to reach the island, and upon disembarking, Sasuke hid the raft again.

"We'll need to be careful, Sakura. Shio Island is a large testing base for Orochimaru. There will be many dangerous creatures here." He led the way through the base, Sakura right on his heels. Sasuke was using his Sharingan, so as to not be caught by surprise by anything. They got to a corner, and Sasuke signalled for Sakura to stop. "There are some test subjects five hundred metres ahead. Five of them. Four are not very well trained, and are basically accidents on legs. The fifth we may have a bit more trouble with, but we should be able to get rid of him without much difficulty." He made another signal and, silent as shadows, they eliminated the group.

They continued on much like this for the next few hours. They would encounter a group of mutated people every ten or twenty minutes. They were always in groups of at least three and at most seven. The two were able to eliminate almost all of them without too much trouble. One of the groups gave them a bit of trouble. It was one of the bigger groups, and all of them were well trained. But within five minutes, Sasuke and Sakura had them lying on the ground, choking in puddles of their own lifeblood.

Sasuke scanned the whole island, seeing if there were any more groups they had left out, but soon concluded that all of the test subjects were dead.

"Sakura, there is someone I have to take care of. Did you want to come with me?" Sasuke asked, Kabuto's death on his mind. He had finally decided how he would kill him, and the idea made him smile.

"I can't, Sasuke. I have to help a friend. Do you know where Aya is?" She could finally fulfil her promise that she made, and she was going to do it sooner rather than later.

"Hai. I've been keeping her with me in my rooms. They are on the other side of the compound. Once you get there, you should be able to sense her."

Sakura nodded and disappeared into the night.

Sasuke watched her disappear, before turning and making his way to Kabuto's lab.

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><p>Kabuto was fiddling with some chemicals, when he sensed Sasuke's Chakra. He turned around, not bothering to hide. Sasuke would find him anyway, and he didn't want him to have to satisfaction of seeing him cowering like an animal. He stood up straight and tall, fearless, as Sasuke entered the room. If his blood red eyes were any indication, Kabuto could tell that he was going to suffer. He couldn't help gulping slightly.<p>

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><p>Sasuke sauntered up to Kabuto, his Sharingan activated, Kusanagi at his side, studying Kabuto's body, noting all of the places to hit. He wanted to draw out Kabuto's death as long as possible, make him suffer like he had. Like Sakura had.<p>

"We both know why you're here, Sasuke. So just kill me and get it over with," Kabuto called across the vast space between them. His words hanging in the air like a veil. Kabuto had probably already figured out that Orochimaru was dead, only because Orochimaru wouldn't let Sasuke kill him. Kabuto was too vital for the experiments.

"You know that it isn't that simple, Kabuto. I want you to suffer, and suffer you will. I will tear you, limb from limb, piece by piece, until you are begging for death to embrace you in its merciful grasp." Kabuto would have none of that, so he quickly grabbed a kunai, and went to plunge it into his own heart. Sasuke darted over to him and knocked the kunai from his grasp, taking off the top of Kabuto's right pointer finger in the process. Kabuto gasped in shock and pain, looking at the bloody stump of what was once the top of his finger.

"You bastard," he spat, angry. If Sasuke wanted him dead, then why didn't he just kill him? Kabuto knew very well that drawing out a death could be a very pleasurable experience, but also a very risky one. Blood loss could kill a man before half of the torture was through, or someone or something could interrupt before the torture had been completed.

Sasuke raced around Kabuto, concealing himself in darkness. He wanted Kabuto to feel afraid, he wanted him to be drowning in fear as he slowly died. For that, Sasuke would need to immerse himself in the darkness that once possessed him. He started softly calling out Kabuto's name through the room, making Kabuto turn constantly. Kabuto's eyes couldn't keep up with Sasuke's speed. Sasuke went to the door and locked it, preventing escape.

Kabuto refused to go down without a fight. His hands glowed green with destructive Chakra. If Sasuke dared to lay one hand on him, he would break ligaments.

The faulty light spluttered above their heads, and Kabuto turned around and around constantly, following Sasuke's voice as it called out his name.

"_Kabuto…"_

"_Over here, Kabuto…"_

"_Behind you, Kabuto…"_

"_I'm over here, Kabuto…"_

Sasuke's voice came out snakelike as it swirled around the room. Kabuto felt something brush against his back, and turned around, before feeling a pain at the top of his left hand pointer finger. He looked, and realised it was gone. He understood what Sasuke was trying to do. He was going to take Kabuto apart, joint by joint. Kabuto's mind started to whirl with pain as his body went into shock. Kabuto concentrated on his breathing, trying to stop his body going into shock.

Sasuke took this chance to take off the tops of both middle fingers with Kusanagi. He watched Kabuto hiss in pain, and concentrate further on his breathing. Within the next couple of minutes, Kabuto's fingers were gone.

Next were his toes. Sasuke continued with his game, knowing that if he dragged it out too long, Kabuto would die of blood loss. Within two minutes, all of Kabuto's toes were gone, and Kabuto managed to lower himself onto the ground, barely being able to keep his balance without his toes. Kabuto sent more Chakra to his bloodied palms, refusing to go down without leaving his mark. He closed his eyes and let his senses take over, feeling for Sasuke's whereabouts. There, right in front of him. He felt a sickening pain at his right wrist, and quickly brought his left palm down, smiling as it hit flesh. He opened his eyes, and almost vomited as he saw that his right hand was completely severed. The pain came tumbling over him and his eyes started to water.

Sasuke stumbled back into the shadows, feeling his left arm. Some of the muscles had been cut below the elbow, and Sasuke cursed Kabuto for that. Oh well. His right hand was his dominant one, and that was all he needed. He raced forwards and quickly took off Kabuto's left palm, before melting back into the shadows. Kabuto's strangled cry of pain and loss echoed around the chamber; He couldn't use his destructive Chakra to get rid of Sasuke now.

The light flickered over Kabuto's body and what Sasuke saw sickened him. Blood was running in rivers down his arms, some of it had splashed over his face. It was covering his feet and was starting to form a small pool around his body. Sasuke rushed forward and in a clean stroke removed Kabuto's feet, before going back to the shadows. He went to tease Kabuto a little more.

"_What's wrong, Kabuto?"_

"_Can't you fight anymore?"_

"_Are you too weak to face me?"_

"_I'll kill you, Kabuto."_

"_I'll make it painful, just for you, and for what you did to Sakura."_

"I was only a pawn to kill her!" Kabuto choked out. He didn't know why he had been defending Karin for so long. Maybe he had stupidly thought that she could be worse than Sasuke? Oh he was a fool.

Sasuke stopped, this information taking him by surprise. "What do you mean?" He watched Kabuto's pathetic body, searching for signs of lies. There were none, so far, but Kabuto was taking too long to answer. He raced forward and removed Kabuto's right arm, up to the elbow.

Kabuto let out a cry of pain, before whimpering and continuing. "I w… Was ordered to, by… Karin. Sh… She said she'd m… Make it w… Worth my while. I am b… But a man, S… Sasuke. " He started to cry, the shock setting in. His body was shaking uncontrollably, and all he could see was blood. All he could feel was pain. He wanted to end it all, but he couldn't. He wished his blood would fall faster.

Sasuke walked up to the weeping man. There was nothing that Kabuto could do anymore, and Sasuke knew that he wasn't lying. For that, Sasuke would kill him quickly. There was just one thing he needed to ask first.

"Where is Karin, Kabuto? Tell me where she is, and I'll put you out of your misery."

"Sh… She is on the… The island… Some… Somewhere…" Sasuke nodded and ran Kusanagi through Kabuto's heart. He died within a few seconds.

Sasuke stood up and wiped the blood off Kusanagi onto Kabuto's shirt. He was about to use his Sharingan to look for Karin, when a scream met his ears.

It came from his room.

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><p>Sakura skirted to the other side of the compound and arrived there within a few minutes. She was starting to feel a bit tired and cursed herself when she realised that she'd left the last soldier pill with Sasuke. Sending out her senses, she soon tracked Aya's energy, and made straight for it. She stopped outside the door that held it, before entering the room. She saw Aya sleeping on a bed up against the far wall. Sakura walked up to her and gently shook her awake.<p>

"Aya. Aya, wake up. It's me, Sakura. I'm going to get you out of here." Aya's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she looked at Sakura sleepily.

"Is this a dream?" She asked softly, and Sakura shook her head, smiling.

"No, Aya. You're seriously getting out of here. Come on, we've got to go." She helped Aya sit, then stand. "Do you have any clothes or anything you'd like to take with you?" Sakura asked, and Aya shook her head, slowly becoming aware of what was happening.

"One moment, Sakura. I have to check something." She pinched herself, and her body jolted slightly. She looked around, and with a growing happiness, hugged Sakura enthusiastically. "It isn't a dream! I really am awake, and you are really here! Oh Sakura, I missed you so much! I was afraid that you wouldn't come back for me! Where did you go? Why did you leave? I missed you so much!" She had tears of happiness running down her cheeks as she looked at Sakura.

Sakura hugged her back, not being able to help the smile that was gracing her own mouth. "How could you doubt me, Aya? I told you I'd get you out of here, and I am going to! As for me, well, I was poisoned, and Sasuke took me back to Konoha, so that I would be healed. I'm so sorry I didn't come back sooner, but I didn't know if you guys would be here or if you would have decided on a different place, and I was just trying to regain my strength… I'm so sorry it took so long. But I'm here now, and I'm getting you out. So come on!" She grabbed Aya's hand and dragged the poor girl to the door.

Karin appeared in the doorway. "So," she drawled. "The bitch lives. I thought I was only going to be killing one slut tonight, but it appears that I'll be having twice as much fun. I'm going to enjoy killing you, Sakura. When the both of you are dead, there will be no one standing in the way of Sasuke and I." She raised a kunai, and threw it at Aya, planning on getting rid of the weaker one first. Sakura's hand came up and caught it before it hit Aya's face.

"Your fight is with me, Karin. Aya has nothing to do with this." Sakura said loudly, trying to force Karin's attention away from her friend.

This seemed to suit Karin just fine, and she faced Sakura with a smirk on her face. This way she'd be able to draw out the death of the other one. She loved hearing them scream.

"Go hide, Aya. I'll be with you in a minute." Sakura whispered. Aya hated to leave her friend in this situation, but knew that she would be more of a hindrance than a help, so she ran to the bathroom and locked herself in.

Karin looked at Sakura, hatred in her eyes. "Exactly how many times do I have to kill you until you die?" Sakura gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean? Kabuto poisoned me. When did you try to kill me?"

Karin stared at her incredulously, before she started laughing. "Him? That fuckwit? Oh no, my little flower, he only supplied the poison. I'm the one who administered it. He wouldn't have even thought to touch a hair on your ugly little head if I hadn't suggested it, and used a little… Persuasion." She licked her lips, a hungry look in her eyes. "But this time, I'm going to kill you, up close and personal. Then, I'll take your little friend in there, and I'll have her screaming for death."

Sakura felt an anger surge in her, one that she had never felt so powerful. "OVER MY DEAD BODY, YOU BITCH!" She screamed, pulling out a kunai and lunging. This girl, she could threaten and taunt her all she wanted. She could beat her and strip her of all her pride and self respect. But the moment she insulted one of her friends, she was going down! The kunai was met by Karin's, and the metal rang loud and clear in the room.

"I plan for it to be." Karin taunted, pushing Sakura away, and making to lunge for the girl herself. Sakura gathered Chakra into her fists and pushed Karin away, before running at her, going to hit her in one of her arteries. Karin dodged at the last second and deflected the blow. She had of think of a plan, quickly. Sakura was far too strong physically for Karin to beat her. She had to think of something else. She glanced at the bathroom and got an idea. She ran a bit away from Sakura, before making a shadow clone of herself.

The shadow clone immediately engaged Sakura, and while Sakura was distracted, Karin went to the bathroom, breaking down the door. She sensed Sakura turning at the noise, and felt her running over to stop her. The shadow clone stopped Sakura, blocking her from getting to Karin.

The red head looked around and quickly spotted Aya cowering inside the shower cubicle. Karin walked over to her and grabbed her by the hair, hauling her out and holding a kunai to her throat. She walked out of the bathroom, Aya struggling futilely against her vicelike grip.

"Stop fighting me, Sakura. Else you will watch your friend die." Sakura immediately stopped and the shadow clone disappeared.

"Fine, Karin. Let Aya go, and I will do whatever you want." Sakura stared sadly at Aya. The poor girl was struggling against Karin's grip, trying to break free.

"Gomen, Sakura. There was nothing I could do!" She said, still struggling, not caring about the small, shallow cuts that were being made across her neck every time she moved.

"Drop your weapon!" Karin ordered, and Sakura dropped the kunai she was holding.

"There. I'm defenceless. Now let Aya go!" She yelled at Karin, forgetting Karin's earlier words.

"Why? I'm just going to kill her anyway. I may as well have a bit of fun and kill her in front of your eyes." She smirked at the look of horror on Sakura's face.

Sakura wouldn't let that happen, and quickly pulled out a kunai that was concealed beneath her tunic. She infused the weapon with a powerful burst of destructive Chakra that would put a hole in some of the most vital organs. She quickly aimed, and threw the weapon.

All of this happened in less than a second, and Karin had barely any time to react. At the last moment, she brought Aya's body slightly in front of hers.

Sakura watched, as if in slow motion, Karin move Aya's body.

She saw the kunai flying with accuracy, straight for Karin's heart.

She saw Aya's shoulder block the kunai's destination.

She watched as the weapon bit into a body that it wasn't intended for.

She heard someone scream.

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><p><strong>Don't hate me don't hate me don't hate me don't hate me! *Hides in corner, away from the angry mob with torches and pitchforks* At least wait for the next chapter... Or two. When this story is finished, <em>then<em> you can kill me. Promise! *gives weak smile*.**

**I've noticed that I seem to get more reviews whenever I mention the Update Quicker Button, so for shits and giggles, I'm going to invoke the right to use it as many times as you damn well please :)**

_**Chapter 26 - The Angel  
><strong>_

_**...Aya was lying down, coughing up blood. "Aya, forgive me, I am so sorry." She felt tears well up, but she didn't give a shit about her promise anymore. She let them fall. "I'm going to see if I can heal you." She knew that she couldn't, but she didn't care. She would give it everything she had...**_

**Will she live? Won't she live? Find out next time. It's a pretty crap preview, even I'll say that, but that was basically the only few clumped lines in the whole next chapter that didn't give something vital away! So I get forgiveness hugs? (and/or reviews?) And if you guys put down your pitchforks, I'll give you cookies :)  
><strong>


	26. The Angel

**If you have it, I'd suggest you listen to 'Arms of an Angel' by Sarah McLachlan during this chapter. If you don't have it, then don't worry :) I was going to post tomorrow, but I figured that you guys have probably finished your cookies and those pitchforks are looking especially sharp... I'll just run away now and let you read :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the song Arms of an Angel by Sarah McLachlan (If that's not the name of it, then I'm sorry :S)**

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><p>Sakura quickly realised that the screaming was hers, and ran forward to catch Aya as she fell. She could tell that she was in excruciating pain, and hated herself that she had caused this. She had killed her friend. It was all her fault.<p>

Sakura looked up at Karin, absolute loathing in her eyes.

"That looks like it hurts. Maybe you should work on your aim," Karin said nonchalantly.

Sakura stood up, facing Karin, hatred and malice and bloodlust seething through her veins. She knocked the kunai that Karin was holding from her hands, and pinned her against the wall. She wanted this bitch dead, and she wanted it to be painful. Sakura punched Karin in the gut, bruising many of her organs and breaking four ribs. Karin screamed in pain, tears forming in her eyes.

Sakura put her mouth up next to Karin's ear. "That was for killing my baby," she whispered, hatred entwining itself in her voice. "And this is for Aya." She summoned up a powerful wave of Chakra into her hand, and punched Karin in the gut, forcing the deadly Chakra to pulse through Karin's body. She put her mouth next to Karin's ear again. "That is a Forbidden Jutsu, one that I came across by mistake and hoped to never use. Over the next hour, your bones will slowly disintegrate, until you are no more than a puddle of tissue, blood and muscle on the floor. There is no way to reverse this." She let go of Karin, and the woman sunk to the floor, before she went back over to Aya.

Aya was lying down, coughing up blood. "Aya, forgive me, I am so sorry." She felt tears well up, but she didn't give a shit about her promise anymore. She let them fall. "I'm going to see if I can heal you." She knew that she couldn't, but she didn't care. She would give it everything she had. Blue light enveloped her hands and she felt Aya's stomach and chest, wincing at the damage. There was nothing she could do anymore, except ease the pain. She sent gentle waves of soothing Chakra into Aya's body and felt Aya slowly relax as the pain faded.

"Sakura, it's alright," Aya said softly, cupping Sakura's cheek. "I'm not afraid. I'll be able to see Masa soon. I'm going somewhere to be happy." Aya's eyes were dry, and she had a small smile on her angelic face.

Sakura gently picked the girl up and took her outside. She didn't want Aya to be locked up in her final moments. She set her down in the grass. The moonlight danced like pearl butterflies on Aya's face, caressing her like soft baby kisses. The wind carried the scent of the ocean and the sound of waves breaking, a mellifluous lullaby singing Aya softly to sleep.

"Aya… Please forgive me for not coming back earlier. Arigato… Arigato for everything you've given me." Her tears were coming faster now and she wanted nothing more than to fall into a heap and weep.

Aya smiled at her. "Don't cry, Sakura Chan. I don't like it when you cry." She wiped some of the tears away. "I want to thank you, Sakura, for being my friend, and for pulling me back from the darkness. Thank you for that." She caught sight of the necklace that Sakura was wearing. "You still have my necklace." She smiled a genuine smile and lightly touched it. "Masa was right: We will be with each other forever." She coughed and some more blood came out of her mouth. Sakura quickly wiped it away.

Aya turned her face to the side, her breath becoming shallow. She picked one of the flowers that were growing beside her. "Sakura, these flowers… They use to… To grow in my… My village. We'd use them to… To make the necklaces… With the little girls…" She brought the flower up to her nose and breathed in, before handing it to Sakura. "Do… Do you think that there will be… Be flowers there?" She asked innocently, her amethyst eyes betraying her fear.

Sakura took the flower in her hand, and wove it through Aya's hair. Sakura was finding it difficult to see through her tears. "I'm sure that there will be thousands of flowers there, Aya. Just for you."

Aya smiled and closed her eyes. "That's good. I'd… I'd really like to make a… A flower necklace again… And… And cook some rice… For the village… I'd… I'd love to… To give Masa a… A flower…" Aya's hand grew slack, and her breath faded on the wind. A light breeze whispered through Sakura's hair, and she felt Aya's laugh dancing with it, the most beautiful chime floating away, like her spirit, soaring into the arms of her beloved Masa, into a timeless light where nobody would ever hurt her again.

Sakura refused to let go of Aya's hand. "I'm sure that Masa would love for you to give him a flower, Aya." Her tears fell thick and fast onto Aya's body. She felt someone walk up behind her, and could tell it was Sasuke. Sasuke gently pulled Sakura's weeping form against his chest, stroking her arm, kissing her brow and cheeks, sometimes her lips, whispering comforting words of nonsense, letting her cry for her loss.

It took many hours for Sakura to compose herself enough to move, and by that time the sun was rising above the horizon. Sakura quickly healed Sasuke's arm, and Sasuke gently lifted Aya's body into his arms, carrying her the whole way back to Konoha. Not a word was exchanged between Sakura and Sasuke, but there wasn't really anything to say. Sasuke knew how it felt to have someone precious to you die, and he knew that Sakura wouldn't want anyone to talk to her about it. If she wanted to talk about it, she would in her own time. In the meantime, just his presence would be enough.

They walked back into Konoha, and no one dared to bother them. Sakura ordered a beautiful funeral be made for Aya, and that's what happened. Aya was dressed in a simple but elegant light purple and silver kimono, with pink flowers and butterflies printed over it. Sasuke payed for the funeral, and so all expenses were covered.

Sakura made sure that everyone brought as many flowers as possible, with dark crimson roses being the main ones. The casket was hand carved mahogany wood, with flowers and vines carved around the outside. Sakura's only regret was that they couldn't bury Aya in her home village, but finding it would prove a near impossible task, seeing as many small towns were always under attack from Orochimaru, and Aya had never said what the name of her town was.

There were only a few people at the funeral; close friends of Sakura's. There was Sasuke, of course, Naruto and Hinata, Tsunade, Kakashi, Ino, Sai, Lee, Yamato, Choji, Shino, Shikamaru, Kiba, Cho and Aika. Even though Sakura hadn't known Cho and Aika as long as everyone else, they, like Aya, were tied in with her disappearance all those months ago. It only felt right to invite them.

Sakura walked in front of the group. "Thank you for coming today, even though only Sasuke knew Aya personally. Aya was a girl that I met during my kidnap. Something that I did not tell any of you, was that I was captured by Orochimaru. Aya had lost her family, her friends, and her lover to Orochimaru's villainous desires. And yet, she was one of the most beautiful, kindest, most caring and funniest people you could ever meet. She was my friend, and she will forever remain my friend. She made some of the darkest times of my life shine brightly. She was like a star, always shining, and never fading. I'll miss her with all my heart, and I'm glad that she died free from chains and cages." Sakura couldn't say anymore, and walked off the stage into Sasuke's embrace.

Aika walked out the front next. "I'm sorry I didn't get to meet you, and I'm glad that you are in a happy place. Thank you for everything you did for Sakura." She said, looking at the casket. She looked up at the people before her. "I was asked to sing today. I don't know if it will do Aya justice, but I hope that it will be acceptable." She closed her eyes, and started to sing.

'_Spend all your time waiting for that second chance.  
>For the break that will make it okay.<br>There's always some reason to feel not good enough.  
>And it's hard at the end of the day.<br>I need some distraction, oh beautiful release.  
>Memories seep from my veins.<br>They may be empty, and weightless and maybe,  
>I'll find some peace tonight.<em>

_In the arms of an angel.  
>Fly away from here.<br>From this dark, cold hotel room,  
>And the endlessness that you fear.<br>You are pulled from the wreckage  
>Of your silent reverie<br>You're in the arms of an angel  
>May you find some comfort here.<em>

_You're in the arms of an angel.  
>May you find your comfort there.'<em>

Far above, in the velvet of the heavens, the stars shone a little brighter, welcoming the angel into their light.

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><p><strong>Yeah, I cried while writing this :( P.s. I love that song :) I can't believe that there is only one more chapter to go! I'm going to start crying all over again! Not much to say, really. Sorry it took me a while to update, and sorry this chapter was a tad on the short side :S And dark crimson roses apparently mean 'mourning', so that's why they were used. I'm not putting a preview up for the last chapter, so you'll have to wait and see what happens :) That's all I can think of to say, so you could leave me a review, or not leave me a review, whatever you'd prefer (you know what I'd prefer, though ;) and I hope to have you back next time :)<strong>


	27. Never Let You Go

**Here lies the last chapter of Don't Let Me Go. I'm both incredibly sad and happy. Sad that this is ending, happy over the reception. You guys... Seriously, you've just been amazing :) With that said, there's a few people I'd like to give a shout out to in thanks for your support. If I could put down every reviewers name, I seriously would, but that would take ages, and I know that you guys just want to read. These guys and their reviews constantly brought a smile to my face, either from your never ending support and compliments or just the fact that you came back every update and decided that my story was worth your time to review. Here's to these people! In no particular order...**

**iCanbEYOURrUKIA  
>kartoonkitty<br>river of the sand  
>moni-neechan<br>Brandi.N  
>Naruto-and-Avatar-lover<br>iNINJA  
>Animelover351<br>HinatasHelper  
>BlueSkyKite<br>Just me (anonymous reviewer, but I've known this lovely girl since, like, birth, and just having you support and review this story was so appreciated, you'll never know :D)**

**Last but not least, my beautiful, smart, amazing and talented friend, Inkheart Buddy, Editor and Soul Mate, Amy, without whose help, I would never have gotten this done, and without whose unlimited patience, I would be six feet under. I love you so much lovely, and this story is dedicated to you :D**

**I know that there are so many more of you, and I'm sorry I can't thank you individually, but know that I am so grateful for every review, favourite, story alert, favourite author and author alert, it just makes me want to bawl! Seriously, I can't thank you enough! This story is dedicated to every single one of you.  
><strong>

**One more thing (sorry). A few of you have asked about a sequel, and quite honestly, I don't know if I have it in me. I have a few story ideas swirling in my head, and if I did write a sequel, it wouldn't come out for at least 6 - 8 months, but I don't know if this story has an opening for a sequel. Believe me, I've thrown ideas around, I even have a very very basic plot! Whether it would be written or stay a figment of my imagination, I can't say. And that's about it.**

**Disclaimer: I, musoninjaRAWR, solemnly swear, that I do not own Naruto...For now...  
><strong>

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><p>Sasuke's name was soon cleared of all charges. The Elder Council voted a five against two win. His saving Konoha had saved him. So had his removing many of the threats of the Test Subjects Orochimaru had made. Killing Kabuto had set many people's minds at rest. He had also supplied the names of all of Orochimaru's hideouts and safe houses, so that the Shinobi of Konoha could go and remove the threats there.<p>

Sasuke refused to move back into the district where his family had once lived. He said that it held far too many memories that he'd rather forget. So he and Sakura bought a house just outside of Konoha. It had a little fruit and vegetable garden out the back, Sakura and Oak trees littered the yard. Creeping vines clung to the walls in a few places.

Eight months later, Sakura gave birth to a little girl. They decided to name her Aya. Three months after Aya's birth, Sasuke and Sakura got married, in a small ceremony. Sakura didn't really like things that were too extravagant.

Sasuke soon started looking for a job, but was ordered to do the Chuunin and Jounin exams first. Sasuke was furious, and Sakura was in hysterics. She found it hilarious that even after all he had done, he was still technically a Genin. Within six months, Sasuke was an official Jounin, and he joined the ANBU. Within a month, he was made a captain.

Five years later, Sasuke and Sakura had had another child. This time a boy, and they had called him Kaito. Sakura was heavily pregnant with twins, and was swearing that she would never have any more kids, and that if Sasuke wanted more, he could damn well carry and birth them himself. Naruto and Hinata had gotten married and were trying for children. Cho and Kiba were still together, and Sasuke had learnt that Kiba was planning on proposing soon. Ino had found happiness in Sai, saying that 'At least he looks like Sasuke!' Sakura had punched her for that, but they soon made up.

Two years later, Tsunade retired from being Hokage, claiming that she had enough money to gamble into the next life, and enough Sake to last her a good few weeks. Naruto was voted as the next Hokage, and complained about paperwork for the rest of his life. Sasuke and Sakura had had their twins: A boy and a girl. They called the boy Kaito, and named the girl Mikoto, after Sasuke's mother. Sasuke was trying to convince Sakura to have more children, and Sakura didn't want to hear any of it. They had enrolled Aya in at the ninja's school, where she was coming first in the class. Naruto and Hinata had had a little girl, whom they called Suki. Cho and Kiba had gotten married and had Aika train to be a medic.

Seventeen years had passed since Sasuke had been welcomed back into the village. Sasuke had convinced Sakura to have more children, and they now had seven beautiful children. Three boys and four girls. Aya was sixteen years old, and breaking hearts left, right and centre, much to Sasuke's annoyance and Sakura's amusement. However, she refused to let Aya out of the house in the clothes that Ino bought for her; Sakura thought that it was better that Aya leave something to the imagination.

Kaito took heavily after his father, even though he had his mother's eyes. He was constantly brooding, and Sakura hoped that Naruto and Hinata's daughter Suki would bring Kaito out of his shell. She had noticed that whenever Kaito was around the thirteen year old, he was more prone to smiling.

Nao and Mikoto were in constant battle. They were currently tied for first in everything that they did, and they were very grumpy at that. It drove Sakura crazy when they fought constantly, but she knew that of all her children, they were closest, just by the little things that they did. Like when there was a thunder storm, Nao would go to Mikoto and comfort her, because Mikoto hated loud noises.

Their fifth child, and third little boy, Taro, was a lot like Aya: A heartbreaker. He was only ten, yet Sakura could see the makings of trouble stirring in him.

Their last two children were little girls. Chie, who was named after Sakura's mother, was seven, and starting at the academy. Chie was like their hippy child, and was a total free spirit. She reminded Sakura of Shikamaru. Chie had inherited Sakura's pink hair, but had her father's dark eyes.

Takara, their youngest daughter at age four, was her daddy's little girl. She was the spitting image of Sasuke, and loved to follow him around, trying to do everything he did. It always made Sakura laugh to see Sasuke trying to do chores around the house, or get ready for work, and always have to watch out for Takara, so that she didn't fall over and hurt herself.

All in all, Sasuke and Sakura were happy and content. Sasuke had the happiness, life and love he had always desired. Everything was basically perfect. Sakura was happy, and that made him happy. He had seven beautiful children who were his life.

Naruto and Hinata had three children, a girl and two younger boys. Suki looked exactly like her father, but had her mother's personality. The two boys, Eiji and Hama, were complete trouble makers, just like their father. Hinata was constantly worried for her father's health when the two boys were over and he tried to teach them how to use their Byakugan. Sasuke was just glad that it was the daughter, not one of the two boys, that had worked her way into the heart of one of his children.

Cho and Kiba had two children: an eight year old girl named Mai, and a six year old boy named Hikari. Mai and Chie were inseparable, being best friends and doing everything together. Sasuke had noted, with some worry, that Hikari and Takara were getting quite close. When he mentioned this to Sakura, she turned a stern face towards him and said "Oh? And what are you going to do about it if they do end up together, hey? I'll tell you what: Nothing! Just be grateful that it's a sweet kid that is friends with Takara."

Sasuke decided that he would just keep a watchful eye over Hikari, and maybe have a stern word or two with him when he got older.

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><p>It was evening when Sasuke got home from a mission. He had been away for two weeks, and had missed his family like crazy. He could hear two people in the kitchen, three people upstairs, one person in the living room and two people out the back. He went to the living room first, and saw Mikoto reading a book. He quietly snuck over to her and gave her a bear hug, which took her by surprise.<p>

"Papa!" She cried happily, before Sasuke put his finger over his lips, signalling her to be quiet. She quickly caught on, mimicking him, before, with a giggle, she wrapped her arms around his neck in a warm embrace. Sasuke gave her a kiss on the cheek, before moving to the kitchen.

Aya and Kaito were there, Aya washing up, Kaito stacking.

"Hey, papa," Aya said, without turning. Sasuke smiled. Even with his chakra completely masked, she could still sense him.

"I must be getting out of shape," he said in good humour.

"Not really, papa," Aya replied, turning with a smile on her face. "I couldn't sense you at all. I could just tell it was your footsteps." Sasuke smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, which she returned. "How was the mission?"

Sasuke sighed. "Troublesome and annoying." Aya nodded, knowing that this was basically his way of saying 'it was a complete waste of time.'

Sasuke turned to Kaito. "Still immersed in teenage - hood, Kaito?" He asked, smirking.

"Hn," was his reply. Sasuke chuckled and ruffled his sons hair. Kaito glared at his father, trying to flatten his black hair back to its usual way.

Sasuke went outside and saw Nao and Taro sparring. He stood there a moment, watching them. Taro seemed to be getting frustrated when Nao continued to be able to get a hit in, and he couldn't touch him. Sasuke walked up to Taro. Nao, upon seeing his father, ran up to Sasuke.

"Did you see me, father? I've been practising with Naruto while you've been gone, and he's been teaching me these awesome moves!" He seemed very happy with himself. Sasuke chuckled again.

"Nao, what have I told you? Naruto's all brawn and no brain. He only ever concentrates on the best moves, but he never realises that sometimes it's the small things that help you win." He walked over to Taro. "For example," he leaned closer to Taro's ear and lowered his voice so that Nao couldn't hear. He whispered something into Taro's ear, and Taro's smile grew wide. Sasuke stood back and walked to Nao. "Give him all you've got." He smiled at Nao as Nao smirked at Taro.

Nao charged at Taro, gathering chakra into his hands and spreading it all over his body. If he were to hit Taro in that state, well… Let's just say his mother would have her work cut out for her.

Taro stood there, arms crossed, a light smirk on his lips. When Nao was merely a metre from hitting him with painful force, Taro sidestepped him, spinning around and kicking Nao in the back, sending Nao flying into a tree.

Nao got up out of the wreckage, rubbing his head. "What the hell, Taro?" Nao was pretty pissed, that much was obvious.

"Papa told me to do it!" Taro tried to defend himself, running to hide behind his father in fright.

"Father!" Nao cried angrily, charging at his father, gathering more chakra through his body.

"That's enough from you, Nao," Sasuke said, holding Nao at arm's length. "That was a very powerful jutsu you just pulled. I'm proud that you mastered it in two weeks," he praised. This seemed to calm Nao down a bit. Sasuke realised that he had just wanted his praise. "You're doing brilliantly, Nao. Just make sure to work on the smallest things as much as the big attacks. You need balance. You can't have one without the other. Master both, and you'll be a force to be reckoned with." Nao grinned at his father, and went off to practise some more. "Half an hour, Nao! Then I want you inside!" He turned to Taro. "That was almost perfect, Taro. Just don't be afraid to act. That's the one thing that is letting you down. When you practise with your siblings, don't be afraid to give it your all." He mussed his hair, and Taro nodded at him, smiling, before going off to join his brother. "Half an hour, boys!" Sasuke called, before walking back inside.

He walked up the stairs, and saw Sakura in the room that Chie and Takara shared, putting the two girls to sleep.

"Papa!" Takara cried happily, jumping into her father's arms. A similar cry was heard from Chie, and they sent him falling back into a sitting position. They climbed over him, battling for the first hug. He heard Sakura chuckle softly, and walk towards where he was being attacked by his two youngest daughters.

"Hey, stranger." She said good naturedly, prying Chie off Sasuke, and tucking the girl into bed. Sasuke hefted Takara into his arms and lowered her into her own bed.

"It's time for sleep, my treasure," he whispered to her, giving her a kiss on the forehead, before going to Chie. "Time for sleep, my darling," he said to her, kissing her forehead, and going back to lean against the doorframe, watching Sakura. He didn't know how she did it, but even after seven children, she was fit. He shook his head, not knowing how she managed it. _But_, he thought, _even if she wasn't as fit as she is, she'd still be beautiful to me._

He listened to Sakura sing the two girls a lullaby. It was the same one she had sung to all of their children.

_'Your little hand's wrapped around my finger__, and it's so quiet in the world tonight_  
><em> Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming<em>_, so I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light_  
><em> To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret<em>  
><em> I'd give all I have, honey<em>_, if you could stay like that_

_ Oh darling, don't you ever grow up__, don't you ever grow up, just stay this little_  
><em> Oh darling, don't you ever grow up<em>_, don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple_  
><em> I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart<em>  
><em> And no one will desert you<em>_, just try to never grow up, never grow up.'_

Sakura quietly left the room, turning off the light and closing the door softly behind her. She felt a pair of arms encircle her waist, and Sasuke's mouth kissing her neck. "Hey," she said, turning around and putting her arms around his neck, giving him a kiss and embracing him. "You're back early."

Sasuke smiled into her hair. "Of course. You wouldn't expect me to be late, would you?" He had missed her like crazy, but as usual, he hadn't realised just how much he had missed her until she was back in his arms.

She shrugged. "I suppose not. Was that you earlier? The one who was trying to encourage Nao to kill Taro?" She felt his rumbling laughter and took this as an assent. "I thought so. Don't you think I have enough to do at the hospital, without having to repair my sons as well?" She berated him softly. He was still laughing and she frowned. "Not funny, Sasuke Kun," she was starting to smile herself, but wouldn't let him see it.

"You're trying not to laugh," he told her. She denied it of course, so he pulled her away from him for a moment, so as to see the smile that she was desperately trying to hide from him. "Told you so."

"Oh shush."

**xXx**

It was midnight, and the children were all asleep, as Sasuke and Sakura stepped out of the house, leaving a protective line of chakra around the house. They entered Konoha, and walked towards the graveyard. Today marked seventeen years since Aya had died, and like every year past, they had come to pay their respects. Sakura was carrying a pink carnation in her hand, Sasuke was carrying a blue periwinkle. They laid the two flowers on the grave, and sat before the tombstone. Sakura rubbed away some of the weeds that had gathered to reveal the writing on the stone.

_**Hirata Aya**_

_**A shining rose,  
>Amongst the darkest of thorns.<strong>_

They sat there in silence until dawn, when they stood up and walked back home, hand in hand.

"Sakura, I'm thinking of retiring from ANBU. I want to take a job that doesn't run a high risk of life and death every time I go. I think I'll just go back to doing missions," Sasuke said, raising a thought he'd had for a while now. He loved the challenges that ANBU presented, but it was too much risk. What would happen if one day he didn't came back home? How could he leave Sakura to raise seven children on her own?

Sakura was silent for a minute, until "if that's what you want to do, then do it. It'll be nice to have you home more often." She smiled at him. "Just make sure that that is what you want to do, okay?"

"I want to be at home with you and with the kids more. I hate going out on a mission, knowing that there is a chance that I won't come home." And besides, he really did want to spend more time with his family. Sakura threw him a smile. She couldn't tell him how happy having him home more often made her. "Sakura?" He suddenly said.

"Hm?" She gave him her attention with that noise.

"Arigato." He said simply. She looked at him, confused, and he explained. "Arigato for not giving up on me. I put you through so much, and you kept letting me back in. Thank you for that."

Sakura smiled at him, giving herself into his embrace, before kissing him lovingly. "How could I give up on you, when you were so lost?" She asked him.

Sasuke smiled back at her, one of the few times where the smile reached his eyes. "Still, thank you for not giving up on me. Arigato for not letting me go." They were out the front of their house, and Sasuke removed the defensive circle of chakra.

"I'd never let you go, Sasuke Kun." She said simply.

Sasuke smiled, and kissed her, before taking her hand and shutting the door to his home, and stepping into the comfort and warmth of his world of happiness, family, love and life.

* * *

><p><strong>And there we have it. I really hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing and posting it. I'd love to hear your feedback. Basically, I'd love to hear from you guys! I have so many people who favourited, and yet never even sent me a 'hey'. So yes, that's my one little ask of you (apart from no flames).<strong>

**Wow... After having posted this for the past two and a bit months, it feels almost a bit... Surreal, for it to be over. Keep an eye out for my next story, I'll Never Say. I'm having good vibes with that one, although it won't be finished for around another two months at least :P Again, thank you so much for all your support, I'll never be able to thank you enough.**

**And with that, I conclude this story. I wish you all a great day, night, week, year and life. Happy reading! Thank you, and goodnight.**

**- musoninjaRAWR xoxox**


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